The Smallest of Actions
by Hawk
Summary: One small event drastically changes things for our sexchanging Martial Artist. Since that event, things have come to a head at the Tendo residence and Ranma decides to leave. But, he doesn't do so alone. Kasumi decides to come along with him!
1. One

Ranma - The smallest of actions 

The smallest of actions[R]  
Niklas "Hawk" Jonsson  
  
  


Summary: One small event drastically changes things for our young sex-changing Martial Artist. Ever since that event, things have been upside down in the Tendo residence and once things come to a head, Ranma decides to leave. But, he doesn't do so alone. Kasumi decides to come along with him! Just what caused this most dutiful of daughters to abandon her home and family to follow Ranma?  
  
Disclaimer: Ranma ½, the characters and whatnot are not mine, though I certainly wish they were! Azumanga Daioh 'aint mine either! The story is mine though, all mine. This series deals with mature subject matters and violence. If this disturbs you, don't read. But if it does, then why the heck are you watching the show/reading the manga in the first place?  
  
Feedback/Flames: Yes, please. Both of them are equally fun to read, although I must admit that I greatly prefer the first variety. :)  
I can be found on ICQ as 21771860 or through e-mail as iamhawk@yahoo.com, more stories are available at my nifty lil' site at or by clicking on my handle up above if you're reading this on fanfiction.net.  
  
"speech"  
*emphasis/shouts/Kindred Domination/post-hypnotic triggers*  
/thoughts/  
*/telepathy/*  
~translation~  
+soundeffect/radio/telephone conversation/TV+  
  
NOTES:  
This is what happens when you sit down intending to write something funny, but WinAMP's random function insists on only playing weird and/or moody stuff performed by Sarah Brightman, Björn Rosenström, Blackmore's Night, Enya, Alanis Morisette, Vonda Sheppard, Elton John, Cat Stevens, Celine Dion, Phil Collins, Weird Al and the soundtracks from Hellsing, Braveheart and Noir. Of course, the whisky might have helped. Weird Al and a glass of Glenmorangie with a Drumguish chaser can do some pretty odd things to your head.  
  
If you're looking for continuity or wonder where in the manga/series this takes place, then I wish you good luck. I'm not even sure myself where or if it fits in. And if you're one of those people who gets anal whenever a character behaves in a way that'd never happen in Canon, then stop reading fanfics or you'll never live a happy life.  
  
If you're wondering about pairings, I guess there's some 'faint' Ranma/Kasumi tendencies scattered all through the fic. But otherwise it's mostly Ranma/Kasumi friendship, Ranma/Ukyo friendship and Kasumi/Ukyo friendship.  
  
Oh, and listen up all you Akane:ites out there. You won't like my Akane. Trust me, you will NOT like her. You have now been warned, so don't say that I haven't warned you.  
  


* * *

  
  


Chapter One:

  
  
Day 0.  
  
  
It is said that the smallest of actions can cause effects such as never imagined by the one who performed the original action, hence the infamous hurricane butterfly theory. What was about to take place was just one such small action, though the results were far more chaotic then any ever spawned by the flutter of tiny wings attached to some clueless butterfly.  
  
What had taken place before you, the reader, enter the scene need not be mentioned in any great detail. Suffice to say that the scene itself should at this point be very familiar to 99% of the potential audience for this piece.  
  
"RANMA!"  
  
Hearken unto the fierce cry of a young maiden, believing herself in possession of a healthy dose of righteous fury currently directed at what yonder lady feels is a very deserving target for just mentioned fury. The target, however, did not exactly share the fair maidens feelings on this matter.  
  
"A-a-a-akane... I-uhm... It wasn't... I wasn't... It was..." the target, a young healthy lad in the latter part of his teenage years, was currently not nearly eloquent enough to sufficiently defuse the situation and as such, would in a few precious seconds have found himself airborne on Kawaiikune Airways flight 714 to Oblivion. Or well, the actual destination would have been the cart of a hard-working noodle vendor some distance away, a vendor whom would have been out of his livelihood and suffered greatly from the loss of his business.  
  
However, due to one such minor action as this author mentioned at the very beginning, the noodle vendor's cart was rescued, only to be singled out for destruction along with its owner in a very nasty traffic accident later in the day. The action which saved Ranma a long walk back to the Tendo residence and doomed an innocent man to death in a traffic accident, was this.  
  
"Wahahahaha! Akane! Hotcha!"  
  
Briefly distracted in mid-swing by the newly acquired perverted accessory to her chest, the dazzlingly fast uppercut only clipped the intended target instead of striking it dead-on. Though not a perfect hit, it was none the less adequate to launch Ranma out of the young maidens window, clipping the frame in the process. Rolling around on the roof outside yonder window, Ranma rolled past Nabiki's window, catching a brief glance of the middle Tendo sister in the process of exchanging her school uniform for shorts and a T-shirt, a view which caused a faint nosebleed and the hawk-eyed Nabiki to add another three-thousand yen to the amount Ranma already owed her.  
  
The young man came to a complete stop outside the window leading into the eldest Tendo sisters room. Therein lived one Tendo Kasumi, the matriarch of the Tendo household and a perpetually happy girl whom never failed to see the positive in everybody. A girl who could find the silver lining to any situation, no matter how odd, disturbing or just plain awful the situation was.  
  
Or at least, that was what Ranma had believed until he stood up, dusted himself off, rubbed his jaw and turned around, only to catch a glimpse of Kasumi sitting on her bed, with a sad forlorn expression and a few tears silently making their way down her cheeks.  
  
Fortunately for the noodle vendor mentioned earlier, moments before Ranma saw this most shocking of visions, Akane rid herself of the tiny perverted Martial Artist clinging to her chest and punted him out of the window. Instead of Ranma, Happosai crashed into the cart and completely wrecked it. However, the vendor was not late to spot the large sack of female undergarments which accompanied Happosai on his unscheduled flight. Having lost his business, the vendor did not hesitate to make off with the underwear, which he later sold for more then his cart and supplies had been worth. Thus a life was saved and strange events set in motion at the Tendo household, all which never could have happened if not for this brief intervention by Happosai in the life of his chosen heir and favoured glomping target.  
  
Of course, the noodle vendor knew nothing of his near-brush with death or the events at the Tendo residence. He was merely happy that he wouldn't have to trot around the city with the rickety old cart any longer. Though he did start to take an unhealthy amount of interest in female undergarments, eventually becoming nearly as perverted as Happosai himself.  
  
But that's another story.  
  


* * *

  
  
Day 1, Dinner.  
  
  
"Wow, Kasumi. Another delicious masterpiece. Thank you very much." Ranma complimented Kasumi, who blinked in surprise at the earnest sound of it, before her smile widened as she inclined her head slightly when she gratefully accepted the compliment.  
  
"Thank you, Ranma. How very kind of you to say so." Kasumi responded, not used to hearing such things from any of the people around the table. Her own family so often took her nearly for granted and other then a mumbled 'thanks' at the end of each meal, hardly ever complimented or thanked her for anything. The two houseguests were nearly as bad, though both had on occasion offered a compliment or two, though this was more common during the first couple of months of their extended stay at the Tendo residence. Kasumi could not recall the last time anyone currently seated around the table had really complimented or thanked her as if they meant it, but she suspected that it hadn't happened in at least two or three months.  
  
None of the others around the table took notice of this little exchange, though several eyebrows did briefly rise as Ranma helped Kasumi clear the table without being asked to do so. Though none commented upon it for fear of being asked to lend a helping hand of their own. The others soon cleared out, finding other areas of the house much more interesting and leaving the eldest Tendo sister and Ranma to their own devices.  
  
Kasumi was surprised at the unexpected help, as Ranma was usually one of the first to clear out before she could bring herself to ask for help. Most of the time, she would find herself alone by the time she'd gathered enough courage to mention anything, and so, found herself forced to clean up on her own. She didn't mind, she told herself, truly didn't mind. But it was... Nice... To get some help and company, Ranma even stepped right up next to her and dried the dishes once she started washing them.  
  
Her smile widened again as this happened, but neither Kasumi nor Ranma said anything regarding the matter. The two of them worked in companionable silence and this brief interlude resulted in Kasumi striding around the house with a larger smile then usual for the rest of the evening.  
  
The End! ( For now... )  
  



	2. Two

Ranma - The smallest of actions 

The smallest of actions[R]  
Niklas "Hawk" Jonsson  
  
  


Summary: One small event drastically changes things for our young sex-changing Martial Artist. Ever since that event, things have been upside down in the Tendo residence and once things come to a head, Ranma decides to leave. But, he doesn't do so alone. Kasumi decides to come along with him! Just what caused this most dutiful of daughters to abandon her home and family to follow Ranma?  
  
Disclaimer: Ranma ½, the characters and whatnot are not mine, though I certainly wish they were! Azumanga Daioh 'aint mine either! The story is mine though, all mine. This series deals with mature subject matters and violence. If this disturbs you, don't read. But if it does, then why the heck are you watching the show/reading the manga in the first place?  
  
Oh, and listen up all you Akane:ites out there. You won't like my Akane. Trust me, you will NOT like her. You have now been warned, so don't say that I haven't warned you.  
  
Feedback/Flames: Yes, please. Both of them are equally fun to read, although I must admit that I greatly prefer the first variety. :)  
I can be found on ICQ as 21771860 or through e-mail as iamhawk@yahoo.com, more stories are available at my nifty lil' site at or by clicking on my handle up above if you're reading this on fanfiction.net.  
  
"speech"  
*emphasis/shouts/Kindred Domination/post-hypnotic triggers*  
/thoughts/  
*/telepathy/*  
~translation~  
+soundeffect/radio/telephone conversation/TV+  
  


*** Previously, on 'The smallest of actions!' ***

  
  
Kasumi was surprised at the unexpected help, as Ranma was usually one of the first to clear out before she could bring herself to ask for help. Most of the time, she would find herself alone by the time she'd gathered enough courage to mention anything, and so, found herself forced to clean up on her own. She didn't mind, she told herself, truly didn't mind. But it was... Nice... To get some help and company, Ranma even stepped right up next to her and dried the dishes once she started washing them.  
  
Her smile widened again as this happened, but neither Kasumi nor Ranma said anything regarding the matter. The two of them worked in companionable silence and this brief interlude resulted in Kasumi striding around the house with a larger smile then usual for the rest of the evening.  
  


*** Roll credits ***

  
  
  


* * *

  
  


Chapter Two:

  
  
Day 5.  
  
  
Ranma grumbled to himself as the clock awoke him from his slumber. Ordinarily, a clock wouldn't cut it when it came to awaken a Saotome from the depths of sleep. A fact which Ranma was very well aware of and thus, had taken the precaution of stuffing just mentioned clock down his boxers as he went to sleep. As the old-fashioned clock started clanging and vibrating, the family jewels were stirred in a most unwelcome way. This caused Ranma to bolt out of bed with a wild-eyed look and grumblings regarding impatient amazons and their wicked perverted ways, which were only slightly less disturbing then the wicked perverted ways of the freak Happosai.  
  
As full wakefulness set in, Ranma recalled that the current situation was one of his own making. He shut the clock off and berated himself for what had seemed like such a good idea when he thought of it the evening before. But as he was now awake with enough Adrenaline coursing through his body to power an entire gym class, he figured that he might just as well go through with it.  
  
With an absent kick directed at his sleeping fathers rear posterior, he left the room, while his father groused in his sleep about thankless offspring and the impertinence of today's youth. Ranma had heard it all before and thus, took no notice of it. Instead, he focused on remaining completely silent and muting his presence, integrating his battle aura with the Wa of the Tendo house to such a degree that he was now essentially part of the house itself.  
  
He entered Kasumi's room and tip-toed up to her side without making a sound, smiling briefly at the cute muted snores the eldest Tendo sister emitted in her sleep, then turned off Kasumi's alarm. Not daring to risk remaining in there for another moment longer, he hastily made his way out, silently closing the door behind him.  
  
Having decided to give Kasumi the morning off for once, he made his way downstairs and entered the kitchen. While he had been on the road with his father, the task of making breakfast had been his more often then not and he had worked at a sleazy diner on Hokkaido for a few weeks as he and his father had run out of money. While he'd been hired to wait tables, he had filled in more then once for the cook, a man who often overslept and then arrived when the first customers had already arrived, demanding their breakfast.  
  
He didn't consider himself a fair cook by any stretch of the imagination and there would no doubt be complaints because breakfast wasn't up to the near-impossible standards set by Kasumi's cooking, but he hoped that at least one member of the household would appreciate the gesture.  
  
He was still at work, when he heard somebody stir upstairs and a few moments later, heard Kasumi's muted voice exclaim her standard 'Oh my!' which indicated that she had awakened and happened to glance at her clock, realising that she'd overslept. Mere moments later, she darted into the kitchen, her robe flapping behind her as she'd just thrown it on before hurrying downstairs.  
  
"Good morning, Kas..." Ranma started, only to blink in surprise and twirl back around to the bench he was working at, feeling a prickling in his nose due to what he'd just seen.  
  
"Oh my!" Kasumi exclaimed again after looking down, blushing furiously and pulling the robe around herself, expertly tying it up. "Ranma, you're... Making breakfast?"  
  
"Yeah... I figured you earned a break." Ranma muttered, trying to get his blushing cheeks under control and the image of the disgustingly cute Azumanga Daioh underwear Kasumi had been wearing out of his mind. "Don't you worry about a thing, Kasumi. I've got everything under control here. Treat yourself to a long soak in the bath, some extra sleep or something."  
  
"But... Why?" Kasumi inquired, still staring in disbelief at the surprising kitchen skills of one Saotome Ranma, skills which she'd never previously even suspected that he might possess.  
  
"I figured you'd earned a break." Ranma muttered, trying to keep his embarrassment under control. If his father saw or heard him now, he'd never hear the end of it.  
  
Kasumi didn't know what to think, what to believe or what to say. She had secretly dreaded that Akane might one day come up with a similar notion, but never even in her wildest dreams had she imagined that Ranma might do something like this. She briefly wondered about the fact that Ranma was up this early and suddenly realised why her alarm clock radio hadn't awakened her as it always did. She hadn't forgotten to set that in the last eight or nine years or so and had been extremely surprised to awaken from her slumber only to find out that she'd overslept.  
  
She blushed again, suddenly very grateful that Ranma still hadn't turned around, as she realised that he must have entered her room while she slept and turned her alarm off. She quietly looked at his back for a while, wondering just how long ago it had been since she last had a man in her room and came to the sad conclusion that other then her father and Ryoga who'd entered by mistake a couple of times, there hadn't been a man in her room since she was in school and had a group of her classmates over for a study session.  
  
While she did felt tempted to mention how inappropriate it was for him to enter her room like that, she forced herself to remain silent on that topic and instead decided to take Ranma up on his generous offer.  
  
"Thank you, Ranma." Kasumi said. "I think I'll take you up on your generous offer and take a bath." she added, wondering just how long it had been since she'd last had time for anything other then a hasty scrubbing in the morning before having to get downstairs to make breakfast for the family, concluding that there hadn't been any such opportunity since her mothers death.  
  
"Take your time. Breakfast won't be ready yet for a while." Ranma informed her, still refusing to turn around, still sporting a certain redness on his cheeks from the unexpected view he'd gotten earlier. Kasumi smiled and headed for the bathroom, cleaning herself off with cold water and scrubbing herself down before she gratefully sank down in the hot water.  
  
She leaned back and closed her eyes, enjoying the moment and wondering about the odd turn of events this day had taken. There had been one surprise after another. First, finding out that she'd overslept. Then inadvertedly allowing Ranma to see her in nothing but her underwear. As if that wasn't enough, she'd worn her Chiyo-chan underwear. Kasumi blushed yet again as that thought crossed her mind.  
  
After that, realise that Ranma was making breakfast, displaying skills she'd never credited him with. Then reason out that he'd entered her room and shut her alarm off, while she slept. Him telling her that she'd earned a break from her regular routine.  
  
That last one disturbed her, made her squirm in the warm water. While she had been aware that she'd been in a rut, and been in it for quite some time now, she hadn't realised just how bad it was until now when she was doing something vastly different from her normal schedule.  
  
Wake up. Morning toilet. Short scrub, hasty wash. Prepare for making breakfast. Morning Tai Chi. Make breakfast. Make lunchboxes for school. Set the table. Serve breakfast. Eat breakfast. Clean the table. Wash the dishes. Send sisters and Ranma off to school. Do the laundry. Make, serve and drink tea. Go shopping. If time permits, squeeze in a visit to Doctor Tofu. Put away the groceries. Make, serve and eat lunch. Do the dishes. Clean one part of the house or dojo, which depending on what day of the week it was. Make, serve and drink tea. Brief moment to read or watch TV. Prepare, make, serve and eat dinner. Do the dishes. Help Akane with homework or discuss budget with Nabiki. Make, serve and drink tea. Evening Tai Chi. Read book, watch TV or repair torn clothes. Evening toilet. Set alarm. Sleep. Repeat.  
  
Repeat.  
  
Repeat.  
  
Repeat.  
  
Repeat.  
  
The life of Tendo Kasumi, in a nutshell. The arrival of the Saotomes had relieved some of the boredom. But other then the fact that breakfast, lunch, dinner, laundry and general cleanup now took a little more time, she had less time for reading, had to increase the pace somewhat as she went shopping, couldn't visit Doctor Tofu quite as often as before, nothing much other then a few 'Observe general mayhem', 'See Ranma fight opponent of the week' and 'Clean up after argument between Akane and Ranma' had found it's way into her schedule.  
  
If that wasn't a depressing thought, she didn't know what was. Despite all the excitement and mayhem that had followed in the Saotomes wake, her daily life had hardly changed at all. Ranma had been helping her out more and more in the last couple of days though, that was one change she'd noted. All alone like this, reflecting upon her life, the happy face she tended to show the world was nowhere in sight. While she knew that her father and her sisters really did appreciate what she did for the family and the sacrifices she'd made over the years, they certainly didn't act like it all that often.  
  
She had been aware of all the work she'd done and the sacrifices she'd made, but this was the first time that one question had popped into her mind while considering them.  
  
Was it really worth it?  
  
She shook her head. Worth it or not, it was too late to do anything about it now. Her family depended on her and there just wasn't anyone among them who had it in them to replace her. She'd sacrificed her life, her future, to care for her family. A family which by now seemed to take her for granted.  
  
Tendo Soun, her father, was still a nervous wreck, what little improvement there had been over the years since her mothers death was not nearly enough. She knew better then anyone just how close to the edge Tendo Soun still was, even after all this time. He'd made an effort to conceal it after the Saotomes arrived, but Kasumi still caught him crying in various corners of the house from time to time. Times during which she'd pull him into her arms and he'd soak her clothes with his tears, whimpering the name of his wife under his breath.  
  
Tendo Nabiki might seem more or less okay to the outside observer, but Kasumi wasn't fooled by her facade. Afraid to allow herself to depend on anyone, to really feel for anyone, Nabiki had cultivated the image of the emotionless mercenary most people saw her as. Not so Kasumi, she penetrated the disguise and saw the terrified girl behind it. She saw the little girl who still grieved her mother, who wanted real friends so badly that she cried into her pillow at night and who yearned for a boyfriend with all her heart, but couldn't bring herself to take the emotional risks involved to make it happen. Nabiki hid it well, but Kasumi knew.  
  
Tendo Akane might have taken the death of their mother worst of all. She'd thrown herself into the Art with all her heart, forsaken nearly all other interests in her life. Her sweet disposition was now a thing of the past, though glimpses of it made itself visible from time to time. But more often then not, she allowed her emotions and feelings to run wild. Hot or cold, rest or full speed, happy or furious, love or hate. Akane was a girl of extremes, with no real middle ground. While Ranma and Ryoga had helped her somewhat in fighting her hatred of boys, she still had plenty of issues and a long way to go.  
  
Of all of them, Akane was the one who worried Kasumi the most. Soun was no danger to anyone but himself, Nabiki a danger only to the wallet and bank accounts of others and herself, well, Kasumi couldn't imagine herself ever harming anyone. But Akane... Kasumi often found herself afraid of what Akane might do to someone. If Ranma hadn't been so durable and so quick on the recovery, Kasumi had no doubt that he'd be dead by Akane's hand by now.  
  
"Huh? Kasumi?"  
  
Kasumi lazily opened her eyes and her face assumed with lightening speed the trademark smiling face she always showed to her family, looking over at Akane who stood naked at the entrance with nothing but a towel held up in front of her sweat-soaked body. It appeared as if her morning jog was over and done with.  
  
"Good morning, Akane." Kasumi greeted her youngest sister. "The 'occupied' sign *is* there for a reason. What if it had been Ranma you'd walked in on? That would hardly have been proper, now would it? Or Mr Saotome?" she inquired, adding the last three words after seeing that the notion of walking in on Ranma didn't seem to faze Akane in the slightest. But as the idea of walking into a room already occupied by a naked Genma took hold in her mind, Kasumi noted with satisfaction that Akane shuddered with revulsion. "But it's just as well that you came, I've been in here long enough. Come on in." she continued and got up, drying her torso off and stepping out of the tub to finish up.  
  
After Akane had rinsed herself off with cold water, Kasumi got down on her knees and scrubbed her back, for which she got a groaned 'Thank you, Kasumi-nee' from her younger sister before Akane soaked herself with cold water again, before she slipped into the tub. Kasumi closed the sliding door behind her bathing sister, then quietly slipped into her clothes and emerged from the bath, revitalised and with no real idea of what she should do now. Ordinarily, she was busy with breakfast and would have no shortage of things to do, but now...  
  
She hesitated for a while, trying to think of what to do, only to notice that she'd mindlessly drifted down to the kitchen before she knew it. She leaned against the doorway, silently observing Ranma putting the finishing touches to the breakfast. Her hands itched for something to do and she had to laugh mentally at herself, thought perhaps crying would have been more appropriate. She really had messed up her life, hadn't she? Housewife at twenty, not exactly what she had pictured herself doing at this time in her life as a dreaming little kid trying to picture her life in the future.  
  
Veterinarian, painter, nurse, pilot, owning her own flower shop, doctor, world-famous pianist, running a tea house, studying abroad, lead singer in a band... She'd had so many dreams and now look. Housewife, without even being married. Married, pfah, she hadn't even been on her first date yet. She had kissed a boy once, but she'd only been five years old at the time, so it probably didn't count.  
  
"Can I help you with anything, Ranma?" Kasumi asked, causing Ranma to jump a little as he'd been so focused on what he was doing that he'd zoned out his surroundings.  
  
"Kasumi!" Ranma exclaimed, taking a deep breath and trying to cover up the fact that he'd been startled by her. "Heh. Well, I'm almost done. You could taste the Miso and make sure that Akane's lack of talents hasn't rubbed off on me, I suppose." he added and Kasumi was caught between the impulse to raise a disapproving eyebrow at his dig at Akanes cooking and the impulse to smile in satisfaction because she had been curious and eager to see what kind of a cook Ranma was and this way, she'd get to find out faster.  
  
In the end, she settled for her usual smiling masque and strode over to fetch a little cup to taste from. She transferred a small amount of soup to the cup, blew softly on it to cool it down and raised it to her lips. She took a cautious sip, dreading the worst, but hoping for the best. In the end, she was pleasantly surprised.  
  
"Very good, Ranma." she complimented him, hesitated for a while and then decided to be completely honest. He'd earned that. "Though... A little more spice wouldn't hurt." she added hesitantly, wondering how he would take it. She'd gotten cautious in offering her opinions since Akane had tripled her efforts in learning how to cook. Ranma didn't seem to mind though, walking over towards her and using the tiny cup that was already out to have a little taste of his own.  
  
"Can't argue with you there, Kasumi." Ranma agreed, adding a pinch of Kasumi's own special blend. "Think that'll do it?" he asked her in a way that made her feel that he really cared about her opinion. She nodded and the smile got a little wider, as did the one on Ranma's own lips as he looked up at her. "Thank you." he offered.  
  
"No, Ranma. Thank you. It was very sweet of you to do this for me." Kasumi responded.  
  
"Think nothing of it, Kasumi. If anyone deserves a little pampering around here, it's you. Now scoot, seat yourself at the table." he ordered her, but with a friendly smile on his lips.  
  
"Roger." Kasumi responded, adding a mock salute before she blinked in surprise at her own behaviour as she headed for the table.  
  
"And don't even think of coming in here after breakfast either. I made a mess, I'll clean it up and do the dishes." Ranma added over his shoulder, causing her to stop dead in her tracks. Had she been more like Nabiki, she would have started to suspect that he wanted something from her. But even despite the fact that she wasn't more like Nabiki, she still found herself wondering about what might be behind this very un-Ranma-like behaviour the young houseguest was displaying.  
  
Did he want money? No, he would have gone to Nabiki or possibly Akane for that. But, try as she might, Kasumi couldn't come up with anything else he might be trying to swindle out of her with this uncharacteristic behaviour. She resumed her walk and hesitantly seated herself at the table, looking over at the rice cooker. She reached out and leaned over to check the progress.  
  
"Ah. Ah. Ah." Ranma cautioned from inside the kitchen and Kasumi guiltily pulled back, needlessly smoothing out non-existent wrinkles on her clothes. She was soon joined by a bleary-eyed Nabiki who slumped down at the table, still in her jammies and with her hair in disarray. Soun and Genma arrived shortly after that and finally, Akane arrived and seated herself. All of them sat there in silence for half a minute, then everybody blinked and looked at the clock. Kasumi looked over it as well, Ranma was twenty seconds late compared to when breakfast would usually be served.  
  
Only then did the others take note of the fact that Kasumi wasn't in the kitchen, but seated there at the table with them. Surprised glances were directed at her.  
  
"Kasumi! But who's..." Akane started, only to fall silent as Ranma emerged from the kitchen, expertly carrying everything at once.  
  
"Oh my!" Kasumi exclaimed, briefly fretting over the security of the containers, before she recalled seeing Ranma at work during the time he'd been working as a 'waitress' at the Cat Cafe during that whole mess with the Phoenix Pill. She gave off a mental sigh of relief as she realised that she'd seen him handle more then that before and it did indeed seem as if everything was under control as Ranma placed everything on the table, then started dishing out rice to everyone.  
  
"Ranma?" Akane asked, staring at the boy in question as if he'd been replaced with a pod person.  
  
"Ranma-baby, you made breakfast?" Nabiki exclaimed.  
  
"What's the meaning of this, boy?!" Genma demanded.  
  
"I woke up early this morning and when I got to the kitchen, Kasumi had yet to start breakfast. I figured she deserved a break and decided to do it for her, allowing her a little time for herself." Ranma replied confidently and without hesitation. Obviously he'd taken some time during breakfast to think out a reply which couldn't possibly be misunderstood by Akane, though it certainly appeared as if she attempted to do so, before she admitted defeat.  
  
"Well, she'll certainly be getting a break once we're all in the hospital with food poisoning." Akane snorted, attacking his cooking in lieu of complaining about his reasoning, which she really couldn't fault without making it sound as if Kasumi didn't deserve a break. Ranma bristled at the comment and Kasumi could see how he swallowed down the 'Oh, you didn't say you were going to cook for us, tomboy?' retort he so desperately wanted to voice.  
  
"Well, it can't be worse then your cooking, lil' sister." Nabiki groused, still not completely awake. The middle Tendo sister really wasn't much of a morning person. Akane wasn't either, but she forced herself out jogging to clear the fogs of her mind so that she was at least awake when she returned, though her mood usually wasn't much better then Nabiki's. "Though it probably isn't far off." she added in a low grumble.  
  
"Akane, Nabiki. That wasn't nice of you, either one. I for one will gladly try Ranma's cooking." Kasumi calmly interjected, accepting a bowl of rice from Ranma.  
  
"Thanks for the support, Kasumi." Ranma thanked her, then dug in with a hastily offered 'Ittadakimasu' and a hearty appetite. The others soon followed suit, as did Kasumi herself, confirming her suspicions regarding Ranma's cooking. It wasn't bad, not by any stretch of the imagination. It was just... Simple.  
  
When Kasumi herself cooked, she pulled out all the stops and made an effort, walked that extra mile, put all her soul into it and it showed in the result. Ranma did not, and that showed as well. Kasumi didn't mind though, not at all and happily accepted seconds, as did most of the others. Mr Saotome and Ranma himself even had thirds and fourths. Neither one gulped down the fifth they usually had, though. But it appeared as if Ranma had thought that might happen, and not made as much as Kasumi usually did.  
  
When everybody was finished and Ranma had gotten a round of more-or-less surprised thanks, Kasumi reached out as if to pick up her plate and begin cleaning the table, but never got that far before she was stopped.  
  
"Uh, uh, uh. The kitchen is off limits to you for now. Now, scoot." Ranma admonished her and hounded her out into the living room, before he set out to clean up and do the dishes. Once finished, he snatched up three lunch boxes, handed one to Akane and one to Nabiki, then all three of them took off for school.  
  
Kasumi went about the rest of the day with her smile a little bit wider then usual.  
  
The End! ( For now... )  
  



	3. Three

Ranma - The smallest of actions 

The smallest of actions[R]  
Niklas "Hawk" Jonsson  
  
  


Summary: One small event drastically changes things for our young sex-changing Martial Artist. Ever since that event, things have been upside down in the Tendo residence and once things come to a head, Ranma decides to leave. But, he doesn't do so alone. Kasumi decides to come along with him! Just what caused this most dutiful of daughters to abandon her home and family to follow Ranma?  
  
Disclaimer: Ranma ½, the characters and whatnot are not mine, though I certainly wish they were! Azumanga Daioh 'aint mine either! The story is mine though, all mine. This series deals with mature subject matters and violence. If this disturbs you, don't read. But if it does, then why the heck are you watching the show/reading the manga in the first place?  
  
Oh, and listen up all you Akane:ites out there. You won't like my Akane. Trust me, you will NOT like her. You have now been warned, so don't say that I haven't warned you.  
  
Feedback/Flames: Yes, please. Both of them are equally fun to read, although I must admit that I greatly prefer the first variety. :)  
I can be found on ICQ as 21771860 or through e-mail as iamhawk@yahoo.com, more stories are available at my nifty lil' site at or by clicking on my handle up above if you're reading this on fanfiction.net.  
  
"speech"  
*emphasis/shouts/Kindred Domination/post-hypnotic triggers*  
/thoughts/  
*/telepathy/*  
~translation~  
+soundeffect/radio/telephone conversation/TV+  
  


*** Previously, on 'The smallest of actions!' ***

  
  
When everybody was finished and Ranma had gotten a round of more-or-less surprised thanks, Kasumi reached out as if to pick up her plate and begin cleaning the table, but never got that far before she was stopped.  
  
"Uh, uh, uh. The kitchen is off limits to you for now. Now, scoot." Ranma admonished her and hounded her out into the living room, before he set out to clean up and do the dishes. Once finished, he snatched up three lunch boxes, handed one to Akane and one to Nabiki, then all three of them took off for school.  
  
Kasumi went about the rest of the day with her smile a little bit wider then usual.  
  


*** Roll credits ***

  
  
  


* * *

  
  


Chapter Three:

  
  
Day 11.  
  
  
"Ranma no baka..." Akane muttered.  
  
"Hey! I didn't say nuthin'!" Ranma protested and for once, he was entirely in the right. He hadn't said anything and showed a remarkable amount of restraint after having tasted Akane's Miso. It was Nabiki who had, after witnessing the lack of a negative reaction from Ranma, dared to try Akane's cooking and promptly spit it out right across the table, striking Soun in the forehead. The words that had emerged from Nabiki's lips after that, were not fit for printing and could not be repeated in polite company.  
  
"Oh... Force of habit... Nabiki no baka..." Akane groused, pondered the matter for a moment, then repeated her first statement. "Ranma no baka."  
  
"What'd I do now?!" he demanded, shaking his head as he concluded that he'd never understand women even if he lived to be as old as Happosai!  
  
"I don't know yet, but it probably won't be long before you do something perverted or say something stupid." Akane snapped, not at all in a good mood now that her father had forbidden her to even set foot in the kitchen for the time being. Having nearly choked to death on the concrete rice and then being struck by projectile breakfast seemed to have temporarily given Soun back his spine and a command had emerged from his lips before it was gone again and he started crying about his youngest lack of culinary skills.  
  
"Akane, now you're being unfair to Ranma." Kasumi admonished her, but Akane was in no mood to listen to her, especially not as even Kasumi had seemed relieved when their father ordered the youngest Tendo to stay out of the kitchen!  
  


* * *

  
  
Day 11, Later.  
  
  
"Kasumi? Where's my yellow sweater?" Akane inquired. "I thought I put it in the dirty laundry yesterday."  
  
"Oh. Did you need it now? I'm afraid I only did one machine today." Kasumi replied apologetically.  
  
"No, I'll take something else." Akane replied, then kept on rummaging through her closet for something to wear, before she strolled into Nabiki's room to check her closet. The middle sister often had more of Akane's clothes in her wardrobe then Akane herself had in her own! As she rifled through the clothes though, she stopped as she came across one of Nabiki's sweaters. It was yellow. It had also been in the laundry basket underneath the yellow sweater Akane threw into the basket yesterday. Did Nabiki have a double?  
  
Akane blinked in surprise, found a sweater she could use and pulled it on, then went to check the dirty laundry. Sure enough, there was her yellow sweater. But there was no sign of Nabiki's. In fact... All the laundry in the basket belonged to Akane, everything else in there had been washed but hers! Had Kasumi done that on purpose? Kasumi?  
  
Akane shook her head, laughing at herself. No way, there had to be some other explanation. Still chuckling at her groundless suspicion, she left the house, looking forward to a night out with her friends and away from Ranma.  
  


* * *

  
  
Day 14.  
  
  
"I came across some extra cash today, sis. Next weeks budget will be eight thousand yen larger then usual and I'll put another twelve thousand into the account set aside for repairs." Nabiki revealed, a happy twinkle in her eyes and Kasumi nodded. While the money certainly would come in handy, she didn't want to think about just *how* Nabiki might have earned those extra twenty thousand yen.  
  
+BANG+  
  
The kitchen door was flung open with enough power to crack the wood and in strode a furious Saotome Ranma, stalking up to the table and stopping right in front of Nabiki. He reached into his Chinese shirt and slammed a handful of photographs down onto the table with a resounding boom as flesh struck wood.  
  
"Yours, I expect? Kuno was unconscious when he dropped them, so I couldn't exactly ask where he got them, but it certainly looks like your handiwork and his wallet seemed a bit thinner then usual." Ranma gritted out between clenched teeth.  
  
"Nabiki! You didn't!" Kasumi exclaimed after having picked up one photograph that had come loose from the pile and landed in front of her. On the picture, was a topless Ranma in his female form, spawled out across his futon and with the blanket thrown off. Kasumi checked the date, noting that the pictures were taken yesterday night. Only she clearly recalled that Ranma went to sleep in his male form then, as she had encountered him as he exited the bath just before going to bed. So, Nabiki had transformed him in order to take those pictures. "That wasn't very nice of you." Kasumi chided her younger sister.  
  


* * *

  
  
Day 14, Later.  
  
  
"That's odd... I could have sworn..." Nabiki muttered as she looked through the refrigerator for the fifth time, without finding what she was looking for.  
  
"Nabiki?" Kasumi inquired as she entered the kitchen. "Are you hungry again already?"  
  
"My chocolate addiction needs satisfaction. Sushi always makes me crave chocolate later on." Nabiki chuckled. "I know I had some chocolate in here."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. I used it to make a cake earlier." Kasumi apologised. "I didn't know it was yours."  
  
"My name was on it." Nabiki complained, then blinked. "Your chocolate cake? I didn't see that at dinner? Is there any left?" Nabiki inquired, wiping some drool off the left corner of her mouth. Kasumi's chocolate cake was to die for!  
  
"Was it? I didn't see that." Kasumi admitted. "No, I'm afraid not. I thought Doctor Tofu could use a little treat. I sent Ranma over to deliver it." she explained apologetically, just moments before Ranma walked in through the kitchen door, a brown smudge around his lips. "Welcome back, Ranma." Kasumi greeted him cheerfully. "How was doctor Tofu?"  
  
"I'm home." he needlessly announced. "He's fine, says thanks for the cake. Well, what he *actually* said was 'Manamana. Bork! Bork! Bork!', then he started dancing on the examination table with Betty-chan. I think he meant to say thanks though." Ranma explained with a faint shrug.  
  
"Oh, that Doctor Tofu. He's such a prankster!" Kasumi giggled, while Nabiki suspiciously glared at Ranma's chocolate-stained lips.  
  
"Saotome? What is that on your lips?" Nabiki demanded, pointing accusingly at his face.  
  
"Oh? There's something on my lips?" he asked, his tongue darting out to swipe experimentally across them. "Oh, that's chocolate. Kasumi let me have another piece of the cake before I ran off to deliver it." Ranma explained.  
  
"*Another* piece?" Nabiki breathed out, her eyes bulging out of their sockets.  
  
"Yeah. We had cake for tea, remember?" Ranma asked, then blinked. "Oh, you weren't there. Right. Forgot about that." he added.  
  
"There. Was. Kasumi's. Chocolate. Cake. Served. At. Tea-time." Nabiki stuttered out in shock.  
  
"Yes. I came past your room and asked if you wanted tea, but you declined, remember?" Kasumi inquired.  
  
"I didn't know there was chocolate cake!" Nabiki wailed, then shuffled off towards her room and a restless night. She just *knew* that she wouldn't be able to sleep properly after finding out that not only had her clearly marked chocolate been used for Kasumi's chocolate cake, which she hadn't gotten any of, but Ranma had gotten two pieces. Two! She mentally raged at the injustice of it all and got all the way to her room before she started to consider things.  
  
Kasumi always checked things before she used them, didn't she? Then why hadn't she seen Nabiki's name written on the chocolate? And she was always careful to let Nabiki know when she made her chocolate cake, didn't she? Kasumi *knew* how much Nabiki loved that cake! And sushi? Hadn't Kasumi said something at breakfast that she was planning to make ramen? Kasumi knew what sushi did to Nabiki, didn't she? She knew that they were all out of chocolate after making that cake, didn't she?  
  
Nabiki mulled these things over well into the night, not being able to go to sleep until mere hours before it was time to get up again.  
  


* * *

  
  
Day 18.  
  
  
"Akane. Have you noticed something... Off... About Kasumi lately?" Nabiki asked as she and Akane walked through Nerima, doing some window-shopping along the way.  
  
"Kasumi? No. Why do you ask?" Akane asked.  
  
"Well... I started noticing something last week. Whenever I treat Ranma... Well, unfairly... She becomes... Less nice." Nabiki revealed, causing Akane to blink.  
  
"Kasumi? I can't imagine her being anything other then nice." Akane snorted.  
  
"She's still nice, she's just... Less nice." Nabiki muttered. "Yesterday, when Ranma made breakfast again, I needled him a bit over the fact that he'd over-salted the rice. Kasumi chided me for not being nice. When I went to bed at night, there were crumbs in it!"  
  
"Well, you were nibbling on a cake as you stumbled down to breakfast, weren't you?" Akane inquired as she thought back to yesterdays breakfast.  
  
"Well, yes. I keep a supply of chocolate chip cookies in my room now and I figured I deserved one after that nasty alarm woke me up. So I had one in bed, then had another one on my way to breakfast. But I've eaten things in bed before and Kasumi *always* cleans before she makes my bed because she knows that I tend to eat in it. But yesterday, she merely made it. She didn't clean it out beforehand." Nabiki pointed out.  
  
"Perhaps she was distracted." Akane replied, then frowned as she recalled the laundry incident. "But I socked him yesterday, nothing happened to me." she offered.  
  
"Well, before you punched him, he did call you 'A graceless gorilla with hips wide enough to give birth to a skyscraper without noticing it' as you 'accidentally' stepped on his foot when Shampoo glomped him." Nabiki offered. "Kasumi might have been cross with both of you."  
  
"Kasumi? Cross?" Akane repeated, shaking her head in disbelief. She just couldn't imagine the eldest Tendo sister doing anything like that on purpose. It just wasn't possible, she was just too... Too nice, to do anything like that! Any why would she feel inclined to do so because of a baka like Saotome Ranma?!  
  
The End! ( For now... )  
  



	4. Four

Ranma - The smallest of actions 

The smallest of actions[R]  
Niklas "Hawk" Jonsson  
  
  


Summary: One small event drastically changes things for our young sex-changing Martial Artist. Ever since that event, things have been upside down in the Tendo residence and once things come to a head, Ranma decides to leave. But, he doesn't do so alone. Kasumi decides to come along with him! Just what caused this most dutiful of daughters to abandon her home and family to follow Ranma?  
  
Disclaimer: Ranma ½, the characters and whatnot are not mine, though I certainly wish they were! Azumanga Daioh 'aint mine either! The story is mine though, all mine. This series deals with mature subject matters and violence. If this disturbs you, don't read. But if it does, then why the heck are you watching the show/reading the manga in the first place?  
  
Oh, and listen up all you Akane:ites out there. You won't like my Akane. Trust me, you will NOT like her. You have now been warned, so don't say that I haven't warned you.  
  
Feedback/Flames: Yes, please. Both of them are equally fun to read, although I must admit that I greatly prefer the first variety. :)  
I can be found on ICQ as 21771860 or through e-mail as iamhawk@yahoo.com, more stories are available at my nifty lil' site at or by clicking on my handle up above if you're reading this on fanfiction.net.  
  
"speech"  
*emphasis/shouts/Kindred Domination/post-hypnotic triggers*  
/thoughts/  
*/telepathy/*  
~translation~  
+soundeffect/radio/telephone conversation/TV+  
  


*** Previously, on 'The smallest of actions!' ***

  
  
"Well, before you punched him, he did call you 'A graceless gorilla with hips wide enough to give birth to a skyscraper without noticing it' as you 'accidentally' stepped on his foot when Shampoo glomped him." Nabiki offered. "Kasumi might have been cross with both of you."  
  
"Kasumi? Cross?" Akane repeated, shaking her head in disbelief. She just couldn't imagine the eldest Tendo sister doing anything like that on purpose. It just wasn't possible, she was just too... Too nice, to do anything like that! Any why would she feel inclined to do so because of a baka like Saotome Ranma?!  
  


*** Roll credits ***

  
  
  


* * *

  
  


Chapter Four:

  
  
Day 20.  
  
  
"Airen, Nihao! Wo ai ni."  
  
The cheerful greeting came from just behind him and such a greeting could only come from one person. Ranma panicked and jumped up in the air, grabbing hold of the top of the door and scrambling upwards, desperately hoping to avoid a trademarked Amazon glomp from the glompiest glomper the Amazons had ever produced in their 3000-year history.  
  
"GAAAH! Shamp..." Ranma blurted out, stopping mid-exclamation as he looked back over his shoulder, but failed to see the Amazon. "Kasumi?"  
  
"Nihao, Ranma." she managed to get out with a straight face, then started giggling like a schoolgirl over her successful prank while Ranma slowly made his way down from the door, struggling to regain his composure.  
  
"Oh my." Ranma got out, shaking his head and clutching at his chest. "You nearly scared me half to death, Kasumi. Geesh!"  
  
"Sorry, Ranma. I couldn't resist it." Kasumi apologised. "I was merely going to ask you if you'd mind going shopping with me today. I need some grass seeds and a sack of fertiliser to repair the garden after Ryogas last visit in addition to some groceries. Without help, I have to go two times and dinner will be late."  
  
"No problem, Kasumi. Tarzan strong, carry stuff what-is-too-heavy-for-weak-woman." Ranma boasted, flexing his muscles in a completely ridiculous manner, posing like a body-builder for a photo shoot.  
  
"You big silly." Kasumi laughed as the two of them walked off.  
  
"Well... That was interesting..." Nabiki muttered to herself, having witnessed the entire exchange.  
  


* * *

  
  
Day 20, Streets of Nerima.  
  
  
"Ranma... I'm not sure that it's... Nice... To flirt your way to lower prices." Kasumi finally said, after Ranma's shameless flirting had gotten them 50% off the fish they bought.  
  
"He certainly seemed happy about it and we don't have to pay as much for what we bought, so where's the harm?" Ranma-chan asked. "You *did* see the large grin on his face, didn't you? How could making somebody smile like that be anything but nice?" he inquired with a grin on his now female face. A very nice old lady whom Kasumi occasionally stopped to chat with had accidentally splashed Ranma while cleaning the sidewalk and the young man was therefore in his cursed form.  
  
"Well..." Kasumi began, but couldn't quite come up with a reply to that.  
  
"Haven't you ever tried it, Kasumi?" Ranma asked, putting hands behind his head and stretching, thus putting his currently female attributes even more on display then they already were. The shirt was thin enough to reveal that Ranma-chan clearly didn't believe in wearing a bra.  
  
"Me?!" Kasumi exclaimed with a half-strangled voice, trying to imagine herself behaving like Ranma just had when he got the discount. She blushed and shook her head, trying to clear her mind from the image that had just popped into it. "No! I mean... I couldn't... I don't have the looks it takes to..." she tried to explain, before Ranma-chan suddenly laughed.  
  
"You don't? Kasumi, you've certainly got what it takes in *that* department, trust me." Ranma firmly stated, a faint blush creeping up his currently female cheeks. "Come on now, Kasumi. Your turn next. Your mission is to get at least 25% off our next purchase."  
  
"But I couldn't possibly..." Kasumi started to protest, only to be silenced mid-sentence by Ranma-chan.  
  
"Oh, you can and you will." Ranma insisted, briefly looking Kasumi over. "Hmmm..." he hummed, then removed the scrungie and allowed Kasumi's hair to flow freely. "Perhaps..." he muttered under his breath, then undid two buttons on Kasumi's dress, pulling it apart a little bit to display a little cleavage.  
  
"Ranma..." Kasumi gasped, trying to work out a protest she could voice, but just couldn't bring herself to come up with anything to say, so she didn't.  
  
"Come now, Kasumi. This'll be fun and you look gorgeous. You've got a body to die for, it won't hurt to show off just a little bit of it." Ranma insisted absently as he rearranged Kasumi's hair until he achieved the effect he was looking for. "Then we're going to spend all the money we saved today on you, something I suspect you haven't allowed yourself to do in quite some time. There, vegetables. Remember, Kasumi. At least 25% off." Ranma insisted and directed Kasumi towards the vegetable shop she usually frequented.  
  
When Kasumi returned to Ranma three minutes later, her cheeks were bright red, her eyes open wide and an embarrassed smile on her lips that nearly went all the way up to her ears.  
  
"Well? Well? Well?" Ranma demanded, looking at the older girl blushing like a schoolgirl.  
  
"F... F-f-forty." Kasumi sheepishly admitted. "Forty percent off." she repeated.  
  
"Excellent, Kasumi!" Ranma approved with a little laugh. "You'll see, we'll make an expert negotiator of you yet!" he promised and as the two of them set out to hit a number of unsuspecting vendors who'd never know what hit them before it was too late.  
  
Two hours later, Kasumi found herself standing in her room. The curtains were pulled in front of her window, the door was locked behind her and she stared in shock at the image in her mirror. Her cheeks were furiously red, her eyes widely dilated and her breath seemed somehow... Erratic. But the wide smile on her lips just wouldn't budge.  
  
No matter how embarrassed she'd gotten, no matter how out of character she'd acted and no matter just how outrageous her behaviour seemed now, in retrospect, she couldn't deny that she hadn't felt this alive in years. Her gaze dipped downwards, to the dress Ranma had persuaded her to buy, partly for the money they saved today, but he'd also somehow talked her into dipping into the household funds as what they had saved by flirting today wasn't enough to pay for this dress. She swallowed nervously, turning to check out her profile in the mirror.  
  
She'd never had anything like it before.  
  
As far as dresses went, it was nothing really special. Just a simple summer dress, a creamy white with a floral pattern. She'd seen hundreds of them before, on other girls. It was loose and comfortable, light and the fabric breathed. It would no doubt be very nice to have when the oppressive summer heat arrived. It wasn't indecent at all, Kasumi had to admit that. But on her...  
  
She swallowed and looked further down. The skirt ended way before any of her other ones did, displaying more of her legs then she ever had since quitting school. It didn't even reach her knees! She swallowed again and looked up. The décolletage was also larger then she was used to, displaying her neck, the hollow of her throat and then some. It stopped just before it actually reached her breasts, but it... Hinted. She swallowed yet again, turning to face the mirror straight on again.  
  
Her hair was still loose, some of it cascading down her shoulders. Having followed an impulse, she'd snuck into Nabiki's room and borrowed some make-up earlier, just a little bit. Her lips had just a tad more colour then usual, but the rest were merely subtle alterations that would hardly be visible to the casual observer. But Kasumi certainly wasn't casual about her observing and thought the change was colossal! She couldn't believe it, she was wearing make-up! She never wore make-up! She almost showed some cleavage! Her knees were visible for all to see! She'd... She'd flirted with vendors!  
  
She'd... She'd acted her age.  
  
Kasumi sighed, this was how she was supposed to look, wasn't it? That was how she was supposed to act, at least on occasion, wasn't it? She was just twenty years old and this, excepting a few swimsuits, was the only piece of clothing she owned that stopped above her knees. She was twenty years old and she'd never been kissed. She was twenty years old and she'd never been on a date. She was twenty years old and this was the first time since her mothers funeral that she'd worn make-up.  
  
Kasumi looked at herself in the mirror again and decided that she liked what she saw. This was her, this was really her! She wanted to leave her room at once, she wanted to show her family the real her, share this amazing discovery with them!  
  
But...  
  
She swallowed nervously again, something which she had seemed to do very often lately. The mirror image of her looked impassively back at the real Kasumi. Kasumi just couldn't understand why it was crying, why tears were streaming down the cheeks of her mirror image. She raised her fingers to her face, surprised to note that she too was crying.  
  
"Neh, Kasumi. You done yet? You did promise that you'd let me see how you looked once we got back home." came Ranma's now male voice through the door. She'd been unable to leave the changing booth at the store and nearly hadn't bought the dress, but the saleslady had peeked inside and finally managed to persuade Kasumi to buy the dress. But she hadn't been able to bring herself to leave the booth with it on, so Ranma hadn't seen it on her yet.  
  
She wiped the tears from her face and adopted the familiar smiling face she always showed her family, then strode up to the door and unlocked it.  
  
"Come in." she offered and stepped away, heading for the mirror again. She'd hardly been able to drag herself away from it since she'd changed. Ranma opened the door and walked inside, then she heard him stop in mid-step. She looked aside at him and had to smile, this time for real. His right foot was still airborne, halted in mid-air. His eyes were open wide and after a second or two to collect himself, he let out a low whistle and closed the door behind him after finally walking all the way into her room.  
  
"Wow..." he approved in a breathless tone as Kasumi turned to face him. "Kasumi, it's... You're... I've never..." he stuttered and swallowed. "Wow..." he repeated, not being able to find the words to describe just how beautiful she was.  
  
"Ranma, how very eloquent." Kasumi gently ribbed him. "Thank you." she added, Ranma's simple breathless 'wow' told her more then fifteen minutes of Kuno Tatewaki's flowery speech ever could. "Thank you..." she repeated and felt how her smile started to falter, tears starting to emerge yet again. Her knees buckled and she slumped, loosing a great deal of her height.  
  
"Kasumi... Hey, what's wrong?! Aw, no, don't cry. Was it something I said? What... Aw..." Ranma babbled as he noted her tears, taking a few hesitant steps forward. "You know I can't handle when girls cry, Kasumi. Please, don't cry..." he asked her, putting a hesitant hand on her shoulder, prepared to bolt at the first sign of impending violence. Kasumi started to cry even harder, her youngest sister had really done a number on poor Ranma. The poor guy had come to associate physical contact with females as a prelude to a beating. This thought so depressed her that she staggered forward and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him close as she nuzzled into his chest and soaked his shirt with her tears. "Aw..." Ranma got out, then ever so slowly, ever so cautiously, reached out and wrapped his own arms around Kasumi.  
  
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." Kasumi bawled, unable to stop her tears or indeed, do anything but fiercely clutch at Ranma as if he was the only thing which kept her alive at the moment.  
  
"You've got nothing to be sorry for, Kasumi. It's my fault. I don't know what I did, but it's my fault. It always is." Ranma stuttered out. "Come now, cheer up. Don't cry. It's all right, it's going to be all right." he insisted.  
  
"No, it's not!" she whimpered. "I'm twenty years old and this is the only thing I have that shows off my knees! I've never been on a date! I don't sell flowers, I don't cure diseases and I don't even treat animals! I'm... I'm... I'm an unmarried housewife! I've never been kissed and the only man other then my father who's ever told me that I'm beautiful is you! I'm... I'm going to die an old maid!"  
  
"What?!" Ranma instantly exclaimed in outraged disbelief, the swiftness and certainity of it all made her feel a whole lot better. No hesitation there. "Nobody's ever... Kasumi, that's ridiculous! You're gorgeous, you can have any man you want. With a smile and a wave of your hand, you can have them lined up around the block, fighting for the privilege of dating you! There are men out there who'd give their lives for a kiss from you."  
  
"Really?" Kasumi asked in a faint voice, trying to picture that, but failed miserably.  
  
"Yes." Ranma replied with such firm conviction that Kasumi found herself unable to debate the subject, though she still couldn't quite accept the notion that men found her desirable. After all, if such was the case, shouldn't she have had plenty of dates and had her first kiss years ago? No, Ranma was just being nice, she was sure of it. "Yes..." Ranma repeated, tilting her head up and brushing tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. They kept coming and he kept brushing them away, while Kasumi did her best to at least try and stop her sobbing.  
  
She looked up at him, blinked away a few tears and nearly choked on a sob as she tried to swallow it down, slowly raising her head towards his. The housewife thing, the dateless thing and her lousy wardrobe probably couldn't be helped, but at the very least she could take care of the issue of never having been kissed. And she could do it now. A few more sobs escaped her as she closed in on Ranma's lips, only absently noting the startled expression on his face.  
  
"Kasumi? Are you cry..." Akane inquired, opening the door and stopping mid-sentence as her eyes fell upon her fiancée and her crying sister locked in an fierce hug and their faces nearly touching. "... ... RANMA NO BAKA! Pervert! Molester! You made Kasumi cry!" Akane roared.  
  
"Akane, no! It wasn't..." Ranma began to protest, jumping away from Kasumi who stumbled and fell to her knees without his support, barely noting the sudden pain in her legs as she stared in horror at the scene in front of her.  
  
"Akane, no... Oh, please Akane, no..." she whispered in a half-strangled note, but her youngest sister didn't hear it.  
  
"HOW COULD YOU MAKE KASUMI CRY?! KASUMI?! YOU CREEP! YOU HELL-SPAWNED FILTH! PERVERT! YOU... YOU... YOU... YOU RAPIST!" Akane howled.  
  
"NO!" Kasumi protested, getting up onto her feet again.  
  
"I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOUR PERVERTED FACE, EVER AGAIN!" Akane screamed, then let loose with one of her fierce uppercuts at a motionless, stunned, flabbergasted and outraged Ranma who was too shocked, too insulted, to move out of the way. Her little fist hit him just right and he crashed through the wall, hurling across the cityscape.  
  
"AKANE!" Kasumi screamed in horror, staring at the hole in the wall, then back at her sister. "You... You... That wasn't nice... You... That... You monster! How could you do that to Ranma?!" she demanded, tears flowing even more freely then before, her eyes flashing with grief, regret, longing, hate and pure rage. "Akane... This... You... I hate you!" Kasumi exclaimed, then stared in surprise as her right arm swung around without conscious direction and her hand made violent contact with Akane's cheek.  
  
+SLAP+  
  
"I was sad and Ranma, he comforted... I... He... How could you say such horrible things about him?! How could you do such an awful thing to him?! You didn't even listen when he tried... When I tried..." Kasumi blubbered, falling down to her knees again, wrapping her arms around herself. Her whole body was wracked with sobs and tears streamed freely down her cheeks, splattering down on the floor. A hand touched down on her right shoulder and she flinched, shrugging it off. "Get out... Get out, Akane. I don't... I... Just get out..." Kasumi managed to get out, curling up in a fetal position on the floor. "Just get out..." she sobbed.  
  
Dinner that evening was a somber affair. Akane had locked herself into her room, crying into her pillows and refusing to talk with anyone. Kasumi had locked herself into her room, crying into her pillows and refusing to talk with anyone but Ranma. Ranma had yet to return. Nabiki eventually ordered take-out for herself, Mr Saotome and her father, which was consumed in silence as the three of them wondered just what had taken place earlier.  
  
The End! ( For now... )  
  



	5. Five

Ranma - The smallest of actions 

The smallest of actions[R]  
Niklas "Hawk" Jonsson  
  
  


Summary: One small event drastically changes things for our young sex-changing Martial Artist. Ever since that event, things have been upside down in the Tendo residence and once things come to a head, Ranma decides to leave. But, he doesn't do so alone. Kasumi decides to come along with him! Just what caused this most dutiful of daughters to abandon her home and family to follow Ranma?  
  
Disclaimer: Ranma ½, the characters and whatnot are not mine, though I certainly wish they were! Azumanga Daioh 'aint mine either! The story is mine though, all mine. This series deals with mature subject matters and violence. If this disturbs you, don't read. But if it does, then why the heck are you watching the show/reading the manga in the first place?  
  
Oh, and listen up all you Akane:ites out there. You won't like my Akane. Trust me, you will NOT like her. You have now been warned, so don't say that I haven't warned you.  
  
Feedback/Flames: Yes, please. Both of them are equally fun to read, although I must admit that I greatly prefer the first variety. :)  
I can be found on ICQ as 21771860 or through e-mail as iamhawk@yahoo.com, more stories are available at my nifty lil' site at or by clicking on my handle up above if you're reading this on fanfiction.net.  
  
"speech"  
*emphasis/shouts/Kindred Domination/post-hypnotic triggers*  
/thoughts/  
*/telepathy/*  
~translation~  
+soundeffect/radio/telephone conversation/TV+  
  


*** Previously, on 'The smallest of actions!' ***

  
  
+SLAP+  
  
"I was sad and Ranma, he comforted... I... He... How could you say such horrible things about him?! How could you do such an awful thing to him?! You didn't even listen when he tried... When I tried..." Kasumi blubbered, falling down to her knees again, wrapping her arms around herself. Her whole body was wracked with sobs and tears streamed freely down her cheeks, splattering down on the floor. A hand touched down on her right shoulder and she flinched, shrugging it off. "Get out... Get out, Akane. I don't... I... Just get out..." Kasumi managed to get out, curling up in a fetal position on the floor. "Just get out..." she sobbed.  
  
Dinner that evening was a somber affair. Akane had locked herself into her room, crying into her pillows and refusing to talk with anyone. Kasumi had locked herself into her room, crying into her pillows and refusing to talk with anyone but Ranma. Ranma had yet to return. Nabiki eventually ordered take-out for herself, Mr Saotome and her father, which was consumed in silence as the three of them wondered just what had taken place earlier.  
  


*** Roll credits ***

  
  
  


* * *

  
  


Chapter Five:

  
  
Day 21.  
  
  
Kasumi had only been out from her room once, and that was to use the toilet, then she'd headed straight back and locked her door again. Akane had been too depressed to even suggest that she could make breakfast, so Mr Saotome and Nabiki had done their best, which was admittedly, not very good at all. But at the very least it was somewhat filling.  
  
Ranma had yet to return.  
  
The two younger Tendo sisters walked each other to school, hardly speaking with each other. Akane had yet to reveal just what had taken place last evening and Nabiki had only heard bits and pieces of it, but what she had heard was disturbing to say the least. Akane had actually accused Ranma of being a rapist. Kasumi had said that she hated Akane. Kasumi refused to talk to anyone but Ranma. Akane's eyes and cheeks were red from crying and lack of sleep, the look on her face was more guilty then Nabiki had ever seen in her entire life.  
  
Nabiki didn't know what to think. Ranma, a rapist? It sounded too far-fetched to be even remotely possible. The guy was almost as shy as Ryoga and he certainly hadn't displayed something even remotely similar to a sex-drive before. If he had, he'd have slept with Shampoo by now. So that didn't seem all that likely, but Akane had said it...  
  
What could possibly have been going on between Ranma and Kasumi that had made Akane utter such an accusation? Even if she had a tendency to misinterpret everything Ranma said and did, coming to *that* conclusion would require something way out of the ordinary.  
  
As they got near the school, Nabiki spotted Ranma. His clothes were rumpled and dirty, he was in his cursed form and his hair was in mild disarray. He morosely walked onto the school grounds on autopilot, hardly taking note of his surroundings until Kuno approached him with happy exclamations.  
  
"Kuno. If you so much as lay a finger on me now, I'll break every bone in your body." Ranma-chan spat out with enough venom in her voice to penetrate even the maddened fogs of Kuno's mind. The Kendoist actually stopped, looking at his pig-tailed goddess in disbelief for a few moments, then shook it off. He couldn't possibly have heard the pig-tailed girl say anything of the kind, he'd misheard her, that was all.  
  
"Pig-tailed girl!" he exclaimed and jumped at her, only to be brutally halted by a foot to his face, which was followed up with a straight right to his throat, an elbow to his ribs, a knee to his stomach, a kick to his groin, an elbow to the back of his head and a kick at his lower back as he fell to the ground.  
  
"Creep..." Ranma-chan snarled and kept walking, just barely slowed down by the encounter with the now unconscious True Blunder of Furinkan High.  
  
Both Akane and Nabiki swallowed and looked nervously at each other for a few moments after having seen the merciless display of violence. The school nurse wouldn't cut it this time, Kuno had to go by ambulance to a hospital for treatment.  
  
Akane tried to apologise several times over the course of the school day, but one look at Ranma-chans expression sapped her off all her courage. The fact that Ranma was so out of it that he hadn't even bothered to change back spoke volumes about his mental state. His gaze was leaden, his expression morose and he was too wrapped up in his own mind that he didn't even sleep his way through school. He even answered a few questions from the teachers and amazingly enough got most of the correct, much to the surprise of Akane, Ukyo and the rest of their classmates.  
  
At lunch, Ukyo dragged Akane aside and tried to get her to tell what was wrong with Ranma, but Akane couldn't bring herself to reveal what she'd done. In the end, she merely muttered that it was all her fault and rushed off, leaving a surprised Ukyo behind. The young chef scratched the back of her head, then observed how Ranma sat all by himself underneath a tree and didn't eat. She recalled that he'd been empty-handed when he got to school, but she figured that he would buy lunch today, but that didn't appear to be the case. She adopted a happy smile and walked over towards him.  
  
"Hi, Ranchan. Want me to whip up an Okonomiyaki for ya?" she greeted him and folded out her portable grill, starting to cook without waiting for a reply.  
  
"No thanks, Ucchan." he muttered in reply. "I'm not hungry." he added by the way of explanation, which made Ukyo clutch in panic at her chest and stare in horror at him. She'd suspected that it was serious, but not that it was *this* serious?  
  
"Ranchan! What's wrong?! What the hell is wrong?!" she blurted out and gasped in shock as he looked up at her, his dead gaze locking with hers. "Oh, Kami-sama. What's wrong?" she asked in a strained voice, then darted forward and pulled him into a friendly hug. Her nose wrinkled at the smell of him, he smelt like crap and her hands came off his back with dirty grime on them. She didn't know where he had spent the night, but suspected that urinating dogs, loam and trash were involved.  
  
"Rapist... She called me a rapist..." he muttered against her shoulder, just barely loud enough for her to hear.  
  
"WHAT?!" Ukyo demanded, pulling him back and holding him at arms length as she looked at his face. "Who called you... Wait, never mind, I know who. Akane!" she snarled, then pulled him back into her arms, cradling him against her. His cursed form was small enough that she managed to pull him into her lap and still have room to spare. "You can't stay there any longer, Ranchan... You've suffered so much... You can't stay there any longer. You can stay with me if you want. If not... I'll pay for a hotel room or something. Anything! But please, don't go back there. If this is what happens... Don't go back there." she pleaded with him, hoping against hope that he'd see reason and stay away from the Tendo residence.  
  
"The rest doesn't matter, I've heard as bad or worse before... But rapist? She actually thought I would... With Kasumi... She thought..." Ranma-chan whimpered faintly. "Poor Kasumi..." he sobbed, then shook his head and pulled himself together. Real men didn't cry! He didn't cry, even if he was a she at the moment! "It's okay, I'm okay, Ucchan." he tried to reassure his friend, pulling away and looking at her with a fake smile plastered on his lips.  
  
"Ranchan... Please... Don't go back. You don't have to stay with me. There's hotels, motels... Heck, there's even..." Ukyo began, swallowing and closing her eyes, firming her resolve. "There's even the Cat Cafe. I'm sure Shampoo would be... Happy... To take you in." she concluded, trying to keep the contents of her stomach down as she suggested staying at her second worst rival. "See how bad it is? I'm even suggesting going to Shampoo." Ukyo laughed, wiping a few tears from her eyes. "Just don't... Don't go back there... You *can't* go back there! Not after this."  
  
"Aw, not again." Ranma complained. "I can't stand it when girls cry. Don't cry, Ucchan. Don't cry..." he urged her and this time it was he who pulled her against him. He absently noted the distinct disadvantage of his cursed form for these kind of situations. Even when sitting in Ukyo's lap, she still managed to be taller then him.  
  
"I'm not cry... Boys don't..." Ukyo started, then chuckled in wry amusement and finished with a sob. "I won't, Ranchan. I won't cry. If you just stay away from the Tendo's for a while, I won't cry." she promised and wiped away her tears, putting on a brave face. She knew that it would probably be impossible to try and keep him away from the Tendo's forever, otherwise she would have pushed for that.  
  
"I... I have to talk with Kasumi. Perhaps pick up some things... After that though... After that, I'll stay away." Ranma replied after a few moments, looking down at the ground. "If... If you'll have me, I'd..." he started, then took a deep breath. "If you don't mind, I think I'd like it if I could stay with you for a while, Ucchan." he said, looking up at her. Her face broke up in a happy grin and he hastily amended his statement with. "As a friend! I'll, uh, sleep on a couch, share a room with Konatsu or something."  
  
"Akane is a blind clueless idiot." Ukyo snorted, shaking her head in wry amusement and just barely restrained outrage. How that violent psychotic moron had gotten into her head that Ranma might do something even remotely resembling what she had accused him of boggled her mind. The guy wasn't as bad as say Ryoga, but he came damn close! "We'll think of something suitable for sleeping arrangements, Ranchan. Don't worry about that." she assured him, then sighed. "I won't let you go back there alone, Ranchan. I'll come with you." she stated and it really was a statement. She wasn't asking if she could come along, she was informing him that she would.  
  
*** Day 21, after school.  
  
  
"Yo, Nabiki." Ranma announced his entrance, his voice clearly resembling his old careless drawl, though such a perceptive person as Nabiki noted that it was all an act.  
  
"Ranma!" she exclaimed, spinning around to stare as her little sisters fiancée walked into the kitchen, followed by Ukyo. "Ukyo." she greeted the chef, observing Ukyo's hostile glare sweeping across the room as her fingers twitched restlessly, no doubt wishing that she held her giant spatula right now. "Nice to have you back." she added, looking at Ranma.  
  
"I'm not... Back... I'm just here to... To pick up a few things and speak with Kasumi. Then I'll be leaving." Ranma replied after a few moments and Nabiki winced. Things were worse then she'd thought. "Is... Is Kasumi here?" he inquired.  
  
"Yeah... She's in her room. Hasn't left it since you did." Nabiki replied after a few moments. "Ranma, for once I don't want to pry, but... Kasumi, she's never... She's... *What* happened?!"  
  
"She was feeling down, if you want to know why, ask her. I tried to comfort her. Akane entered and things went all to hell." Ranma replied after a few moments.  
  
"You don't say." Nabiki wryly replied. "Kasumi actually slapped Akane, before she ordered her to get out of her sight." she revealed, which caused both Ranma and Ukyo to stare at the middle Tendo in disbelief.  
  
"I need... I have to talk with her. Ucchan, stay here, okay? I'll be all right." Ranma assured his friend, then bolted out of the kitchen.  
  
"Boy! What did you do to your fia..."  
  
+CRASH+  
  
Genma's outraged voice was halted mid-sentence and the noise of splintering wood revealed the reason, the moronic elder Saotome had left the building.  
  
"My babies! Ranma-kun! What did..."  
  
+CRASH+  
  
"Well, at least the contractors will have a good week." Nabiki sighed as her fathers voice trailed off in the distance and she returned her attention to the pathetic excuse for a dinner she was attempting to throw together. "I'm guessing he'll be staying with you for a while?" Nabiki asked Ukyo.  
  
"Yeah." Ukyo replied, blowing a few strands of hair away from her face and then leaned back against a counter with a depressed sigh. "That little sister of yours... She's... Something, really something... I've never seen him so... So..."  
  
"He's a wreck." Nabiki agreed. "Of course, Kasumi and Akane aren't much better. Kasumi won't even talk with me and she refuses to eat." she added, washed her hands and brought out her wallet. "Here. If you run out, come to me." she added and handed over a wad of bills.  
  
"What's this?" Ukyo inquired, looking down at the cash in disbelief. Had she really seen Nabiki willingly hand over money?  
  
"For Ranma's upkeep. You won't believe how much he eats, or well, perhaps you do." Nabiki replied, looking away. "You shouldn't have to pay for him coming to stay at your place, not when it's Akane's fault that he's there. Besides, I earnt that money off of him anyway." Nabiki stated flatly, busying herself with dinner again, not looking at Ukyo.  
  
"Thanks, sugar." Ukyo replied and put the money away. "You're not quite as bad as you pretend to be, eh?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, well. If you tell anyone, I'll deny it and make you regret that you ever dared to mention it." Nabiki groused.  
  
"Don't worry. Your dark secret is safe with me." Ukyo promised with a wry smile. "I won't even charge you for it." she added with a teasing chuckle.  
  
The End! ( For now... )  
  



	6. Six

Ranma - The smallest of actions 

The smallest of actions[R]  
Niklas "Hawk" Jonsson  
  


Summary: One small event drastically changes things for our young sex-changing Martial Artist. Ever since that event, things have been upside down in the Tendo residence and once things come to a head, Ranma decides to leave. But, he doesn't do so alone. Kasumi decides to come along with him! Just what caused this most dutiful of daughters to abandon her home and family to follow Ranma?  
  
Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2, the characters and whatnot are not mine, though I certainly wish they were! Azumanga Daioh 'aint mine either! The story is mine though, all mine. This series deals with mature subject matters and violence. If this disturbs you, don't read. But if it does, then why the heck are you watching the show/reading the manga in the first place?  
  
Oh, and listen up all you Akane:ites out there. You won't like my Akane. Trust me, you will NOT like her. You have now been warned, so don't say that I haven't warned you.  
  
Feedback/Flames: Yes, please. Both of them are equally fun to read, although I must admit that I greatly prefer the first variety. :)  
I can be found on ICQ as 21771860 or through e-mail as iamhawkyahoo.com, more stories are available at my nifty lil' site at http:www.hawksgalaxy.com or by clicking on my handle up above if you're reading this on fanfiction.net.  
  
"speech"  
emphasis/shouts/Kindred Domination/post-hypnotic triggers  
/thoughts/  
/telepathy/  
translation  
soundeffect/radio/telephone conversation/TV  
  


Previously, on 'The smallest of actions!' 

  
  
"What's this?" Ukyo inquired, looking down at the cash in disbelief. Had she really seen Nabiki willingly hand over money?  
  
"For Ranma's upkeep. You won't believe how much he eats, or well, perhaps you do." Nabiki replied, looking away. "You shouldn't have to pay for him coming to stay at your place, not when it's Akane's fault that he's there. Besides, I earnt that money off of him anyway." Nabiki stated flatly, busying herself with dinner again, not looking at Ukyo.  
  
"Thanks, sugar." Ukyo replied and put the money away. "You're not quite as bad as you pretend to be, eh?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, well. If you tell anyone, I'll deny it and make you regret that you ever dared to mention it." Nabiki groused.  
  
"Don't worry. Your dark secret is safe with me." Ukyo promised with a wry smile. "I won't even charge you for it." she added with a teasing chuckle.  
  


Roll credits 

  
  


* * *

  
  


Chapter Six:

  
  
Day 21, Kasumi's room.  
  
knock knock knock  
  
"Go away, Nabiki." Kasumi stated flatly, lying on her back and glaring up at the roof. She had stopped crying, but she still didn't feel at all like talking to anyone. She didn't want to take the chance of lashing out against them, like she had with Akane. That had scared her, truly scared her. Up until that moment, she hadn't believed herself capable of actually hurting someone. But she had.  
  
Both physically and verbally.  
  
"It's me." Ranma informed her from the other side of the door. In a flash, she was up and rushed over towards the door, unlocking it and yanking it open. "Hi." he greeted her with a sad smile.  
  
"Hi." Kasumi responded with a strained smile, wiping a few happy tears away from her eyes. "You're back." she said, not knowing what to say, so she blurted out the first thing that popped into her mind. "Are you okay?" she asked, looking for visible signs of injury. He usually recovered fast, but one never knew when his luck ran out.  
  
"Yeah, we Saotomes heal quickly." he replied, nervously scraping his feet against the floor. "I'm not back, per say... I... Eh... I just wanted to see you. I'm... I'll... I'm going to stay at Ukyo's place for a while." Ranma explained, scratching the back of his head.  
  
"Oh... I-I guess I understand." Kasumi replied with a sad look on her face. "I'll... I'll miss you." she revealed, looking down at her feet. She knew that it was wrong of her to feel this way. He was Akane's fiancée! But... But she had treated him so badly and Kasumi was... She felt... She had to tell him, had to let him know.  
  
"Yeah, me too." he replied, a strained note in his voice. "Kasumi, I meant it. Every word. You're beautiful, in mind and body both. You are not going to die an old maid. Any man on the planet would be thrilled to have you, and if he ever treated you badly, I'd rip his nuts off!" Ranma promised, the latter part of the statement causing her to pale a little bit, though the faint smile the first part of his assurance had caused to blossom remained in place.  
  
"Thank you, Ranma. Thank you." she said, then moved in closer, leaning her head against his shoulder and wrapping her arms around him. After a moment, she reached out and closed the door, then locked it for good measure. She didn't want a repetition of last night if Akane happened to come by. /Wrong! Wrong! This is wrong!/ her mind screamed at her, but she ignored it. For at least a little while, she wanted to indulge herself. Wanted to pretend that there could be something between the two of them. "Every word, huh?" she inquired.  
  
"Every word, Kasumi." Ranma repeated.  
  
"I can have any man I want?" she asked.  
  
"Any man you want." he agreed without hesitation.  
  
"Any?" she asked again, nuzzling against his neck like a kitten in the mood for a cuddle.  
  
"Uh... Eh... Yeah." he replied, albeit a trifle bit nervously and with faint signs of apprehension in his eyes. Things were hard enough as it were with Akane, Ukyo, Shampoo and Kodachi. The notion that Kasumi might want to get involved in that, was quite simply beyond belief. She'd always seemed so aloof, so serene, so completely beyond him that she was one of the few girls he'd never fantasised over. Or at least hadn't, until she rushed into the kitchen with her robe untied a while ago. After that, she'd become fair game for his imagination, though he'd known that there could never be anything between the two of them. Though, he wasn't so sure about that any longer.  
  
"That's good to know." she murmured, sniffling and letting out a long breath. "Ucchan's, huh? Do you think... Do you think she'd mind another houseguest?" Kasumi asked, startling Ranma out of his reverie.  
  
"You wanna tag along? Why?" Ranma asked, scratching the back of his head with his right hand, before he moved it back around Kasumi again.  
  
"I want to get away from it all, get away from this place." Kasumi sighed in reply. "Get away from... Akane. I was... I said... I was very cross with her for what she did and what she said and... I said some very cruel things, improper things that I didn't really mean. I... I'm still cross with her, but I don't want to risk... I... I don't want to risk seeing her again for a while or I might say something else, something improper." she explained. "Do you think Ukyo would mind?" she asked.  
  
"She likes you, so I don't think so." Ranma replied. "I'll go down and ask her." he added and was about to step away when Kasumi tightened her grip around him.  
  
"Not... Not yet, okay? Could you just... Hold me? Just for a little while?" she asked in a very faint voice.  
  
"Kasu-chan..." he murmured, tightening his own grip and rubbing her back. "For you, anything." Ranma promised and found to his surprise that he meant it. Kasumi was quite possibly the only girl in his life who'd never tried to hurt him, who never tried to use him, who never disregarded his feelings and who actually treated him like a fellow human being all of the time. For that, he loved her. He wasn't in love with Kasumi, but he loved her. In a way, she was the big sister he'd never had. Unless his lying scumbag of a father hadn't kept even more things a secret from him. For all he knew, he could actually have a big sister out there somewhere.  
  
/"I'll miss you." "Yeah, me too."/  
  
/"I can have any man I want?" "Any man you want."/  
  
/"Hold me?" "For you, anything."/  
  
/"For you, anything."/  
  
/"Anything."/  
  
Yeah. Anything. For her, anything. Ranma closed his eyes, leaned down and rested his cheek against the side of her head. It might be the love of a younger brother towards an older sister, but that was more then he felt for any of the other girls. Ukyo was the one he liked the best, but as a friend, nothing else. Sure, she was attractive and she did figure prominently in his fantasies from time to time, but first and foremost, she was a friend. Shampoo was attractive and sexy as hell, but he didn't really trust her and the notion of marrying into the same family as Cologne was... Disturbing as hell. Kodachi? Hah, yeah right! As if that would ever happen!  
  
Akane...  
  
Tendo Akane didn't trust him, she beat him on a regular basis and often seemed to regard him as something far worse then the grime on the sole of her shoes and lower then low. She was stubborn as hell, refused to admit when she was wrong and oh, did he mention stubborn? She also had a heart of gold, could be very sweet on occasion and there was just something about her that attracted him despite all her flaws.  
  
/"Rapist."/  
  
Yeah, that...  
  
While he might one day be able to forgive her for saying it, it wasn't something that could be forgotten. Even though he could, in the privacy of his own mind, admit that he liked her, might even had been able to learn how to love her, this was no longer the case. No matter what the fathers said, he'd never marry her, not now. He also knew what this meant, what would happen once he said this. They'd switch the engagement again.  
  
Then he'd be engaged to either Nabiki or Kasumi.  
  
Tendo Nabiki was a ruthless greedy emotionless bitch who always had an agenda, always had an escape plan and never let anything faze her. Or at least liked to pretend that she was. Ranma was not quite certain what she was beneath the surface, what all those emotional and mental walls of hers hid, but he was certain that it was vastly different from the exterior she inflicted upon the world around her. Sometimes, just sometimes, he'd managed to glimpse something beyond that facade. She was also attractive, very attractive in fact. She definitively had a body that just wouldn't stop and a face to go along with it. He would like to know what lurked beneath her cold mercenary exterior, but married to her?  
  
Tendo Kasumi was a perpetually happy and satisfied woman, the epitome of perfection and flawless in the manner in which she maintained the Tendo household. Or at least liked to pretend that she was. Since he started helping Kasumi out more and more, he'd found out more about her, about the real Kasumi that lurked beneath an exterior that was just as false as Nabiki's. Underneath it all, she was an insecure little girl who desperately missed her mother so much that she had tried to fill her shoes ever since her death. She wasn't happy all the time and she certainly wasn't satisfied. She'd sacrificed her entire life to care for her family and had a staggering amount of unfulfilled dreams and denied desires.  
  
Though the real Kasumi certainly wasn't perfect or flawless, it just made her all the more beautiful. The false Kasumi was a goddess, a saint, too good for regular mortals, too far beyond their reach. The real Kasumi was human, just like him. He liked being around her, he really and truly honestly liked her and cared for her. He loved her. Now that he knew what she hid beneath those long, loose dresses of hers, he could certainly be attracted to her. If the engagement were to switch to Kasumi, he certainly wouldn't protest much about it.  
  
But protest it he would, because someone like Tendo Kasumi certainly deserved more out of life then an arranged marriage to Saotome Ranma. A sniffle from Kasumi brought him out of his thoughts. She squeezed him close one final time, then let go and took a step back.  
  
"Better?" Ranma asked as he let her fall back.  
  
"Much. Thank you." she assured him, wiping away a tear or two. "Kasu-chan?" she asked, one eyebrow rising in bemusement.  
  
"Well... It seemed appropriate at the time." he mumbled, red with embarrassment.  
  
"It's okay. I don't mind." she admitted, smiling happily. "In fact... I kinda liked it. I... I wouldn't mind if you kept... Kept calling me that."  
  
"Anything for you, Kasu-chan." he reassured her.  
  
"In that case... Before you go ask Ukyo, there's... One... Last... Thing..." Kasumi admitted, swallowing nervously, fiddling with the sleeves of her dress. "Uh... A... A kiss..." she mumbled, unable to voice her request better then that.  
  
"Ah... Eh... Uh... I'dbehonoredkasuchan..." Ranma stuttered, just as nervous as Kasumi. He wiped palms of his hands against his pants, swallowed nervously several times, wet his lips with his tongue and twiddled with his pants pockets, before he swallowed a final time and took a deep breath. "Gladly." he stated. "Gladly, Kasu-chan."  
  
The two moved closer, their heads tilting to accommodate each other and Ranma lowered his head towards her. Then stopped, before they actually made contact, offering Kasumi a way out if she wanted to take it. After a few moments, in which Kasumi did nothing other then close her eyes and pucker up, Ranma traversed the final distance and their lips met.  
  
There were no fireworks, no explosions, colliding universes or anything of the sort, nothing as cliché as that. What it was, was a temporary unification of two pair of lips attached to two human beings, one male, and one female. Both of them amateurs in this particular field, with little or no experience in the Art of Kissing. Ranma was hesitant and withdrawn, Kasumi too distracted to make much of it and as far as kisses went, this one wouldn't even rank on the Top Ten Billion Best Kisses Charts.  
  
The two of them pulled apart, then moved forward again, both of them determined to do better this time. Which they did, but only good enough to get them into the Top Ten Billion Charts as the situation was still entirely too new for both of them. The third was even better, mouths opened and deeply ingrained instincts came into play. The fourth involved tongues and one of them, neither knew who, uttered a faint moan during it. The fifth was slow, languorous, drawn-out and left both of them gasping, not to mention also in possession of a place on the Top Ten Thousand Charts.  
  
Both of them swallowed and took a step back from each other, clearing their throats and looking everywhere but at each other as they composed themselves. Both of them sporting silly smiles and twinkles in their eyes that hadn't been there before.  
  
"Wow... That was... Wow..." Ranma softly exclaimed, licking his lips.  
  
"Yes. Wow." Kasumi agreed, then giggled. "My first kiss..." she whispered under her breath, raising her right hand to her face and reverently fingering her lips, tracing the outline of them with her index finger.  
  
"Uhm... I'll... I'll go ask Ukyo." Ranma said, turning around and turning the handle, only to remember that the door was locked. He unlocked it, then tried again, with much better results. "You might as well start packing what you'll need, Kasu-chan. I don't think Ukyo will mind."  
  
She said that she didn't, in fact, mind. Though her smile had seemed a trifle bit strained, so Ranma knew that she wasn't entirely honest about that. She'd no doubt been looking forward to a little time alone with him. Nabiki assured him that she'd explain Kasumi's absence to the rest of the family, though she'd also sighed and for some unfathomable reason whipped out her wallet and handed Ukyo a wad of bills as Ranma was just about to walk out of the kitchen.  
  
The sight of Nabiki doing something like that, was so unexpected that Ranma tripped and fell to the floor as he witnessed this unprecedented act.  
  
The End! ( For now... )  
  



	7. Seven

The smallest of actionsR   
Niklas "Hawk" Jonsson 

Summary: One small event drastically changes things for our young sex-changing Martial Artist. Ever since that event, things have been upside down in the Tendo residence and once things come to a head, Ranma decides to leave. But, he doesn't do so alone. Kasumi decides to come along with him! Just what caused this most dutiful of daughters to abandon her home and family to follow Ranma? 

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2, the characters and whatnot are not mine, though I certainly wish they were! Azumanga Daioh 'aint mine either! The story is mine though, all mine. This series deals with mature subject matters and violence. If this disturbs you, don't read. But if it does, then why the heck are you watching the show/reading the manga in the first place? 

Oh, and listen up all you Akane:ites out there. You won't like my Akane. Trust me, you will NOT like her. You have now been warned, so don't say that I haven't warned you. 

Feedback/Flames: Yes, please. Both of them are equally fun to read, although I must admit that I greatly prefer the first variety. :)   
I can be found on ICQ as 21771860 or through e-mail as , more stories are available at my nifty lil' site at or by clicking on my handle up above if you're reading this on 

"speech"   
emphasis/shouts/Kindred Domination/post-hypnotic triggers   
/thoughts/   
/telepathy/   
translation   
soundeffect/radio/telephone conversation/TV 

Author Raving 

If that line about "I guess there's some 'faint' Ranma/Kasumi tendencies" from the first chapter didn't already clue you guys in, I guess the fact that this fic is now on CoRK ( ) might have sorta spoiled the 'secret'. So I might just as well admit that this fic will indeed become one with a Ranma/Kasumi pairing. 

I like the notion of those two together. Tofu is way to old for Kasumi anyways and Ranma needs someone who's kind, understanding, patient and willing to put up with his flaws until he has adapted to actually living in society, instead of just occasionally visiting it while going somewhere to train. 

Of course, I also like the notion of Ranma and Nabiki together. Nabiki is a babe and Ranma needs someone who'll give him the facts of life in a no-nonsense manner, is willing to work with him and who won't flinch at the chaos which seems to follow in his wake. 

Both those two are wonderful characters who didn't get nearly enough time in the spotlight in either anime or manga. Thank Kami-sama for fanfiction, where they are allowed to shine and flourish as they take the center stage together with young Saotome. 

- Niklas "Hawk" Jonsson, AKA Takamura-san - The Lord of Perverts 

Author Sedated and Locked Up Until Next Chapter 

Previously, on 'The smallest of actions!' 

"Uhm... I'll... I'll go ask Ukyo." Ranma said, turning around and turning the handle, only to remember that the door was locked. He unlocked it, then tried again, with much better results. "You might as well start packing what you'll need, Kasu-chan. I don't think Ukyo will mind." 

She said that she didn't, in fact, mind. Though her smile had seemed a trifle bit strained, so Ranma knew that she wasn't entirely honest about that. She'd no doubt been looking forward to a little time alone with him. Nabiki assured him that she'd explain Kasumi's absence to the rest of the family, though she'd also sighed and for some unfathomable reason whipped out her wallet and handed Ukyo a wad of bills as Ranma walked out of the kitchen. 

The sight of Nabiki doing something like that, was so unexpected that Ranma tripped and fell to the floor as he witnessed this unprecedented act. 

Roll credits 

* * *

Chapter Seven:

"Nabiki... Where's... Eh... Where's Kasumi?" 

Nabiki turned around from her place at the stove, wiping sweat off her forehead and cursing the horrible course of action which had put her, her, in charge of the kitchen. Akane was still forbidden from trying her hand at cooking, Genma had been drafted to make breakfast yesterday, but never would again. Soun just cried when she suggested that he do it and they couldn't afford to order out, which left Nabiki in charge of cooking. She certainly was a better option then Akane and she wasn't quite as incompetent as Genma, but Nabiki had gained a whole new level of respect for Kasumi now after attempting to make breakfast for the entire family. 

She focused her gaze on her subdued sister, standing in the doorway to the kitchen, looking sad, lost and confused. Nabiki restrained a brief impulse that made her want to launch the ladle she was holding at her younger sister. She also restrained the impulse to give her a hug. 

Tendo Nabiki dearly loved her family, but after the events of the last few days, her love for Akane had gained the addition of a fair amount of contempt and resentment. It was not good things to feel for her sister, but felt them she did none the less. 

When she had heard Akane sprout accusations of rape, she'd been in flames and prepared to skin Saotome alive. She had almost rushed off to get the knifes she kept in her room, when she recalled just how often Akane tended to leap to entirely wrong conclusions. So, she'd forced herself to calm down and attempted to find out just what had taken place. There were no recording devices in Kasumi's room, she'd always thought of that one room in the house as off limits to her. Kasumi's sanctum had always been just that, Kasumi's. She only rarely ventured into her older sister's room these days, in fact, she couldn't recall one single instant in the last two years in which she'd entered it. 

But her own room had one and after listening in on what it had recorded, she had been able to faintly make out Kasumi and Ranma speaking through the wall to Kasumi's room. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but there had been no sounds whatsoever that she would have associated with rape. As the family rushed upstairs as the event happened, Kasumi hadn't seemed like the victim of a rape and her treatment of Akane certainly put the entire matter in doubt right off the bat. But after she had heard that tape later the day after the accusation, Nabiki knew that Akane had leapt to an entirely outrageously ridiculously faulty conclusion yet again. 

Only... This time, Nabiki didn't hold any illusions that it would be easy to smooth over. Perhaps, it would even be impossible. Ranma leaving shouldn't be a matter of much concern, he'd been thrown out and even left of his own accord a couple of times before, but always came back in the end. However... 

Nabiki knew Ranma. She had examined him from all angles, she'd learned as much as she could about him and in the few discussions they'd had, she'd drawn out more and learned more from him then the poor fool would ever suspect in his darkest nightmares. She was no psychologist, but rape just didn't seem like something that Ranma would ever do. Heck, considering his near Ryoga-like way with women, he'd probably vomit while fainting if he ever even contemplated such an act. 

No, rape wasn't something Ranma would do and considering his reaction once when he'd walked through the room as Nabiki watched the news and a segment on a particularly brutal rape had come up, being accused of doing such an act would not be easily forgiven. The glass of lemonade he had been holding at the moment, had been shattered and Ranma hadn't even noticed. He'd just glared at the TV with such a look of overwhelming rage in his eyes that Nabiki had inched away from him as she noticed it. He'd just stood there, fuming and dripping blood on the carpet as he ground the shards of glass even further into his hand as his fists clenched until they turned white. 

She wondered if that rage, that disgust, that desire to hurt the ones responsible, was something Ranma had always felt or if it was something he had acquired after he got his curse. Ordinarily, he wouldn't have to worry about that. But there was always weakness Moxibustion, curses, magic and just plain bad luck. He had been hurt often enough, stumbling back towards the dojo in his cursed form, injured and ripe for plucking by some ruthless character. Was his reaction due to him resenting the act in general, or was he afraid of it happening to himself? Perhaps someone had tried before, perhaps even succeeded? 

Nabiki gave a mental shake. No, the last one wasn't possible. Ranma would have torn up half the city to prevent it, then stomped the remains into the ground while getting his revenge once he recovered, should somebody actually succeed. But one thing was certain, he loathed the act with a passion and being accused of it... That would not go over well, had not gone over well. 

Even Akane seemed to be aware of just how big a mistake she had made this time, she looked like hell turned over. She had hardly eaten anything since the event, only rarely left her room and this was the first time Nabiki could recall her saying more then 'No' or 'Go away' to her since the event. 

"I... I knocked... I knocked on her door, but..." Akane mumbled, looking down at the floor to avoid looking Nabiki in the eye during the elder sisters scrutiny of the younger one. "Where's Kasumi?" she asked again, in a faint and horribly distressed voice. 

"She left." Nabiki answered flatly, then closed her eyes and forced herself to rid her voice of accusation, resentment and anger. She still loved her little sister, she truly did. She couldn't allow herself to make matters worse, she'd already lost one... No, two! Two members of the family. She surprised herself by that reaction, by actually viewing Ranma as part of the family. She pushed that thought aside for further consideration. She'd already lost Ranma and Kasumi, she wouldn't loose Akane as well. "She went with him. They're staying at Ucchans for the moment." Nabiki continued in a much kinder voice. There was no need to elaborate upon who 'him' was. 

"He's at Ucchans? That cheating bas..." Akane began, hints of anger starting to flash in her eyes before it was quenched by grief, sadness, self-loathing and regret. "Oh..." was all she said, looking down at the floor again. "Is... Is... Is she... Is she coming back?" Akane inquired. "Is he?" she added in an even fainter tone of voice. 

Nabiki's heart went out to Akane and she crossed the space between them, wrapping her arms around her grief-struck sister, hugging her close. 

"I don't know, Akane... I don't know..." she admitted and much to her own surprise, felt moisture gather in the corner of her own eyes. She only rarely cried and never, never, in public, when anyone could see her. She certainly didn't intend to begin now, even though she too mourned the absence of her older sister and mother figure. In a way, she loved Kasumi even more then she had her mother. In Kasumi, she had both a beloved older sister and a loving mother figure. Kasumi had always been there, always been there for her and everyone else in the family. 

Ever since their mother died, Kasumi had never left the house for any extended amounts of time. She'd never went along on overnight school trips while she was still in school. She never visited out-of-town friends unless she could be back later in the same day. This was the first time Nabiki could ever remember that Kasumi hadn't spent the night in their home, other then during vacations with the entire family. The house just seemed... Wrong somehow... Empty... Without Kasumi in it. 

But for now, it seemed as if the Tendo household would have to make do without Kasumi in it.   


* * *

"I wonder how they're doing..." Kasumi said, frowning down at the cup of tea in her hands. 

"Nabiki will take care of things." Ranma assured her. Kasumi pondered this for a few moments, then nodded as she realised the truth of that statement. Nabiki was the only one whose dedication to the family came close to her own. Akane loved her family, but was too much of a selfish, spoiled brat to help out. Soun was a manic-depressive wreck, a spineless coward who never lifted a single finger to help out. Happosai was... Well, Happosai. Genma was a lazy gluttonous fool. Ranma was here with her. 

But Nabiki... 

Sometimes Kasumi wondered just whom had made the bigger sacrifice of the two of them. Sure, she had given up her life in order to fill her mothers shoes. But Nabiki had sacrificed her innocence, morals and ethics to keep the family afloat. Her dedication to the family was unquestionable and Kasumi knew that Nabiki wouldn't let anything happen to her family. 

Kasumi felt ashamed over just leaving like that, putting an even heavier burden on Nabiki's shoulders. But she couldn't stay, she just couldn't! Even her own thoughts were proof of that. /'Spoiled brat', 'spineless coward'.../ 

Kasumi could hardly believe that she was capable of such horrible thoughts regarding her own family. She'd called Akane a monster and slapped her. If she had remained at home, who knew what would have come next? Would she had hit her father? Would she have thrown Genma out of the house? Would she have lashed out at Nabiki? 

Kasumi shuddered. She didn't recognise herself anymore. Until she could trust herself to be around her family again, she couldn't return. She loved them too much to inflict her current self upon them. 

She raised her right hand and just looked at it, turning it around as she considered it. /This is the hand that slapped Akane./ she thought. She just couldn't believe that it was the very same hand that had stroked her sister's hair when she cried herself to sleep after their mothers funeral. This was the hand that Akane had feverishly clutched during the funeral. This was the hand that wiped away Akane's tears the first time she had her heart broken by a boy. This was the hand her mother had held in her sickbed, when she asked Kasumi to take care of the family for her. /This is the hand that slapped Akane./ 

"Try not to think about it, Kasumi." Ranma interjected, reaching out to gently grasp her hand. She jumped and nearly spilled her tea, but just barely managed to avoid it. "Just... Take it easy for a while. I'll go see if Ucchan needs a hand." he added. Kasumi knew that he felt guilty about imposing on Ukyo, despite the fact that she assured them both that Nabiki had paid for the inconvenience. 

However, Ranma had seen the amount of money Nabiki had handed over and knew that it wasn't nearly enough to pay for the both of them. Ukyo had revealed that she had gotten more, but even that wouldn't be enough, he knew. Nabiki had probably turned over all she thought she could afford. Things would be tight at the Tendo dojo for a while, as Nabiki would be too busy handling the household in addition to school and her business. She likely wouldn't be able to make as much money as before, as she simply wouldn't have the time to do it in. 

Though she didn't believe for a second that this was all that was behind Ranma's sudden urge to go downstairs. More likely, it had something to do with the fact that he was cooped up alone with an emotionally unstable woman. Ranma was so transparent sometimes. The fact that he was nervous and didn't really know what to do to comfort her was so obvious. And since it was her, 'kind, gentle Kasumi', he couldn't resort to his usual standard operating procedure and start tossing out taunts and insults to cover up his insecurity. 

"I'll come with you." Kasumi said and stood up. Ranma looked as he was about to protest, but she held up a hand to stop him before he voiced his opinion. "I need to do something to keep me busy, or I'll just brood." she informed him. It was even the truth, if she didn't find something, anything, to distract herself with, she'd grow moody and depressed. While it was oh so tempting to utilise Ranma, she just couldn't. Not only wasn't it fair to Ranma to use him like that, but there was also Akane and Ukyo to consider. 

He was their fiancée. Kasumi was only a possible future sister-in-law. Well, she hoped that she was his friend as well, in addition to that. Oh Kami-sama, she hoped she was his friend and he hers! She really needed a friend right now. She blinked tears away from her eyes and adopted that oh-so-familiar smile. Although both of them now knew just how fake it was, but it was all she could do at the moment. Ranma wasn't the only one who had a favoured defence which he pulled out whenever he was uncomfortable with a situation. He taunted and insulted, Kasumi smiled. Ranma looked at her for a moment, then reluctantly nodded before the two of them walked downstairs to help Ukyo run her restaurant. 

The End! ( For now... )


	8. Eight

The smallest of actions R  
Niklas "Hawk" Jonsson 

Summary: One small event drastically changes things for our young sex-changing Martial Artist. Ever since that event, things have been upside down in the Tendo residence and once things come to a head, Ranma decides to leave. But, he doesn't do so alone. Kasumi decides to come along with him! Just what caused this most dutiful of daughters to abandon her home and family to follow Ranma?

Disclaimer: Ranma ½, the characters and whatnot are not mine, though I certainly wish they were! Azumanga Daioh 'aint mine either! The story is mine though, all mine. This series deals with mature subject matters and violence. If this disturbs you, don't read. But if it does, then why the heck are you watching the show/reading the manga in the first place?

Feedback/Flames: Yes, please. Both of them are equally fun to read, although I must admit that I greatly prefer the first variety. :)  
I can be found on ICQ as 21771860 or through e-mail as iamhawk at yahoo dot com, more stories are available at my nifty lil' site at hawksgalaxy dot com or by clicking on my handle up above if you're reading this on fanfiction dot net.

"speech"  
emphasis/shouts/Kindred Domination/post-hypnotic triggers  
/thoughts/  
/telepathy/  
translation  
+soundeffect/radio/telephone conversation/TV+

Hearken unto the words of Hawk-sama 

Well, take this all you 'Bo-ho, why have you dropped Smallest Actions, you big perverted meanie!' cry-babies who's been pestering me since my last update. Like I've said before and will say again, until people actually start to listen.

I do not plan to ever, nor have I ever, dropped a story.

I'm just a slow updater. :D

Good, now sod off 

Previously, on 'The smallest of actions!' 

"Try not to think about it, Kasumi." Ranma interjected, reaching out to gently grasp her hand. She jumped and nearly spilled her tea, but just barely managed to avoid it. "Just... Take it easy for a while. I'll go see if Ucchan needs a hand." he added. Kasumi knew that he felt guilty about imposing on Ukyo, despite the fact that she assured them both that Nabiki had paid for the inconvenience.

However, Ranma had seen the amount of money Nabiki had handed over and knew that it wasn't nearly enough to pay for the both of them. Ukyo had revealed that she had gotten more, but even that wouldn't be enough, he knew. Nabiki had probably turned over all she thought she could afford. Things would be tight at the Tendo dojo for a while, as Nabiki would be too busy handling the household in addition to school and her business. She likely wouldn't be able to make as much money as before, as she simply wouldn't have the time to do it in.

Though she didn't believe for a second that this was all that was behind Ranma's sudden urge to go downstairs. More likely, it had something to do with the fact that he was cooped up alone with an emotionally unstable woman. Ranma was so transparent sometimes. The fact that he was nervous and didn't really know what to do to comfort her was so obvious. And since it was her, 'kind, gentle Kasumi', he couldn't resort to his usual standard operating procedure and start tossing out taunts and insults to cover up his insecurity.

"I'll come with you." Kasumi said and stood up. Ranma looked as he was about to protest, but she held up a hand to stop him before he voiced his opinion. "I need to do something to keep me busy, or I'll just brood." she informed him. It was even the truth, if she didn't find something, anything, to distract herself with, she'd grow moody and depressed. While it was oh so tempting to utilise Ranma, she just couldn't. Not only wasn't it fair to Ranma to use him like that, but there was also Akane and Ukyo to consider.

He was their fiancée. Kasumi was only a possible future sister-in-law. Well, she hoped that she was his friend as well, in addition to that. Oh Kami-sama, she hoped she was his friend and he hers! She really needed a friend right now. She blinked tears away from her eyes and adopted that oh-so-familiar smile. Although both of them now knew just how fake it was, but it was all she could do at the moment. Ranma wasn't the only one who had a favoured defence which he pulled out whenever he was uncomfortable with a situation. He taunted and insulted, Kasumi smiled. Ranma looked at her for a moment, then reluctantly nodded before the two of them walked downstairs to help Ukyo run her restaurant.

Roll credits 

* * *

Chapter Eight:

"Aiya... Perverted Money-Grubber correct, Airen and Too-Too Nice Girl shack up with Spatula Girl!" the unmistakable voice of the bustier of the three resident Amazons exclaimed from the doorway. Surprisingly enough, she'd learned to use the door after the first three times Ucchan had sent bills for destroyed walls to the Nekohanten. Why she insisted on breaking walls everywhere else, since she evidently knew how to use doors now, was still a big mystery.

Not to mention a source of much happiness for the local contractors, who were never short of work. The Nerima ward had more construction workers per capita then any other part of the world at this point in time, though Hinata ward came close. Few people in the world were as happy to see angry Martial Artists, annoyed young women and gigantic mechanized turtles, as the construction workers of Nerima and Hinata.

"Hey, Shampoo." Ranma greeted his Chinese fiancée with a weak smile, as he absently hoped that Ukyo had kept up with her insurance payments. If Shampoo chose to get violent over his new living arrangements, the building might not still be standing in an hour. She didn't look angry though, not exactly. She was upset, that much was clear. But she didn't seem like she was about to whip out her bonbori right off the bat.

Of course, Ranma knew that things could change in the blink of an eye. Despite the fact that he now turned into one, he'd never really learned to understand women and he doubted that he ever would.

"Airen... Xian Pu come as soon as hear." she said and sashayed over to him, wrapping her arms around him. Ranma raised an eyebrow at the oddity. /A... Hug? A normal hug? No glomp? What happened to the glomp/ he wondered in complete bewilderment. While he'd never EVER admit it, there was something to be said for the Amazon glomp. If only Shampoo hadn't been so hell-bent on doing it in public whenever she saw him, he might not have protested as vehemently against it. "Xian Pu sorry, Airen. Xian Pu know Airen no woman-defiling monster. Xian Pu know Airen innocent and Perverted Violent Girl crazy for even think it for one second. Airen okay?"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence and yeah, I'm okay, Shampoo." Ranma replied and after a brief moment of hesitation, wrapped his own arms around Shampoo. Though he kept the hug brief and hastily took two steps back, untangling himself from her. While it now seemed as if he was down one fiancée, there was still Ucchan to consider and she wasn't far off. In fact, she was glaring at the two of them, but was apparently biting her tongue to prevent a violent outburst at the sight of the mutual hug.

"Hi, Spatula Girl. Hi, Too-Too Nice Girl." Shampoo greeted the two of them, Kasumi having wandered into the restaurant from the storage where she had gotten a fresh batch of noodles for Ukyo.

"Oh. Hello, Shampoo." Kasumi greeted the girl, her regular smile plastered on her lips.

"Ukyo, Shampoo. Ukyo." Ukyo stated neutrally, trying to keep the venom out of her voice. "What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"Xian Pu hear from Money-Grubber what happen. Come see if Airen okay." she replied, then looked over at Kasumi. "Also come see if Too-Too Nice Girl okay. One thing if Violent Pervert Girl upset Airen, she do that all the time. Even if worse then ever before now, even if go too-too far this time. But Too-Too Nice Girl Kasumi upset as well. Too-Too Nice Girl no deserve this."

"And another reason wouldn't be to try and trick Ranchan into staying at your place?" Ukyo inquired.

"Xian Pu figure no hurt try." Shampoo replied with an innocent shrug.

"Well, figure again, Shampoo." Ukyo retorted, hefting her spatula suggestively as Shampoo got into a defensive posture.

"Please, no fighting today, okay?" Ranma suddenly asked. "Things can go back to normal tomorrow, but for now, no fighting. Please?" he added. The uncharacteristic behaviour and honest-sounding plea was so unexpected, that both girls stopped dead in their tracks and plastered friendly smiles on their faces.

"Very well, Ranchan." Ukyo agreed, putting her spatula back.

"Xian Pu promise no fight." Shampoo agreed. "Today." she amended, as her posture went back to normal.

"Thanks guys." Ranma said, visibly relaxing.

"So, Airen come stay with wife, yes? Spend night making too-too good love-love with wife?" Shampoo asked innocently.

Crack+

Crink+

Ranma turned to look at Ukyo, holding a wooden spoon snapped in half in her right hand and with a strained expression on her face. While she had suggested Ranma staying at the Nekohanten on her own as a way to get him away from the Tendo household, she was in no way prepared to have Ranma do that now, when he'd already taken her up on the offer to stay with her.

"Oh my. How did that happen?" Kasumi murmured to herself, staring down at the snapped noodles she was holding in her hands, though the lion's share of it was now lying on the floor at her feet. She shrugged and hastily put them in the trash, then left to fetch more.

"Ah, no. I don't think so, Shampoo." Ranma murmured, turning back to face the Chinese Amazon.

"Kitchen-destroyer pull groundless accusation out of constipated ass..." Shampoo muttered with a disappointed sigh, levelling a suspicious glare at Ukyo for a few moments, before she looked back at the storage room. She sighed again and relaxed somewhat. "Guess Xian Pu no need worry about husband sleep with Spatula Girl with Too-Too Nice Girl around." she commented, which caused Ukyo to grunt out a noise that might be interpreted as reluctant and disappointed agreement. Shampoo then looked thoughtful. "How sleeping arrangements work out?" she inquired as she realized that the upper floor only had four rooms. One bathroom slash water closet, one living room and two bedrooms, one of which was Ukyo's and the other belonging to Konatsu.

"Kasumi stays with me and Ranma sleeps on the couch in the living room." Ukyo replied and Ranma nodded.

"Aiya, husband sleep on couch? Airen sure no want sleep with Xian Pu?" she asked.

Crink+

"Oh my. Again?" they heard Kasumi's voice from the storage room.

"Ah, yeah. I'm sure, Shampoo." Ranma assured her.

"Don't you have something else to do Shampoo? A delivery? A lobotomy?" Ukyo asked in a strained tone of voice, clearly well on her way to breaking the promise not to fight.

"Shampoo do." Shampoo agreed with a frustrated expression, then turned to face Ranma one last time. "Airen SURE Airen okay? Tell truth this time! No lie to Xian Pu."

"I will be okay, Shampoo. There's nothing to worry about." Ranma told her.

"So, Airen no okay now." Shampoo reasoned with a thoughtful nod, confirming her suspicions. "Xian Pu know Airen take groundless accusation hard. Figure this be the case." she added, then glanced over at Ukyo's clock and her expression grew increasingly more frustrated. "Xian Pu need go now. Spatula Girl, Too-Too Nice Girl, take care of Airen for Xian Pu. Airen, get better, okay?" she requested.

"I'll be okay before you know it, Shampoo." Ranma said and forced a faint smile.

"Xian Pu happy to hear. Bai, bai, Airen! Bai, bai, Spatula Girl and Too-Too Nice Girl! Too-Too Nice Girl make sure Spatula Girl no join Airen on couch, okay?" Shampoo called over her shoulder, as she left the restaurant heading for the delivery bike outside.

Crink+

"Oh my! ... Must be a defective batch..." could be heard from the storage room as Kasumi crushed another bunch of noodles.

* * *

"Thanks for all your help today, guys." Ukyo said as the four of them had retreated to the second floor after closing down the restaurant for the evening. She removed the hair band and tossed it over the back of her couch, before she threw herself down across it. She bounced a couple of times, then came to remember that she wasn't alone any longer and that she had others to consider. She hastily sat up and scooted to one end of the couch, leaving the rest of it up for grabs.

"No problem, Ukyo-sama." Konatsu said, before bowing deeply to her. "Good evening." he added, before he retreated to his own room and shut the door behind him. He'd been somewhat irked by the fact that Kasumi and Ranma would stay with them, but he liked them both and after Ukyo had explained the situation to him, he'd insisted that they take them in. His retreating to the privacy of his own room wasn't any kind of show of displeasure at their presence, he did that most evenings anyway. Though she had lived with him for quite a while now, Ukyo had to admit that she really didn't know much about the odd cross dresser she lived with.

Though she supposed that she shouldn't be so quick to label anyone else as an 'odd cross dresser', considering her own situation.

"No problem at all, Ukyo-san." Kasumi said as she seated herself at the other end of the couch. "It is we who should be thanking you for taking us in like this. I'm sure that it must be an inconvenience." Kasumi continued with an apologetic expression.

"Don'tcha worry 'bout it, Kasumi." Ukyo said and sighed. "And please, lay of it with the -san business." she added with a friendly smile. "You've welcomed me into your home many times, shared your meals with me and I've even stayed overnight at your place often enough. It's only fair that I repay at least some of what I owe you for all the kindness you've showed me since I first came to Nerima." she said, then cleared her throat and decided to change the subject. "Aren't you going to join us, Ranchan?" she asked, looking over at Ranma who had seated himself on the floor.

"Hm?" Ranma asked absently, looking over at the two girls. "What?"

"Won't you join us, Ranchan?" Ukyo asked, patting the couch between herself and Kasumi. "We can watch a movie or something to wind down." she suggested and Ranma was about to decline, when Kasumi spoke up.

"That would be nice." Kasumi approved. Ranma hesitated for a moment, but was still going to decline, until he met the gazes of the girls and succumbed to their pleading expressions.

"I guess." Ranma said and pushed himself upright, walking over to the TV in front of the couch. "What d'ya guys wanna watch?" he asked, looking over Ukyo's collection of VHS-tapes and DVD's.

"Something romantic Ranchan/Ranma-kun." the two girls chorused.

"Like there's so much else to choose from." Ranma muttered under his breath as he considered Ukyo's entertainment collection. While she wasn't as much of a tomboy as say Akane, he was still surprised to discover that at least seven of eight tapes or DVDs were romantic ones. The others, were evenly split between martial arts action movies, live concerts and comedy.

Eventually, he settled for a foreign flick. 'What women want' sounded like it'd be something romantic and the title itself was promising enough, perhaps he'd get to learn something about the mysterious half of the worlds human population.

Ukyo grunted in displeasure when she saw what came up on the screen, but as neither Kasumi nor Ranma had seen the movie before, she let the subject rest. She had been hoping for something really romantic to watch, as she cuddled up next to Ranma. If it hadn't been for the fact that Kasumi was seated on the other side of Ranma, that would have been just about perfect. But she guessed that it could have been worse and decided to make the most of it. As the movie started, she slowly scooted closer to Ranma, inch by inch.

/So close... I'll be snuggled up to him in a jiffy/ Ukyo mentally whooped, only having a couple of inches left until she'd reached her goal.

"Ranma?" Kasumi asked.

"Hmm, yeah?" Ranma asked uncaringly, staring at the credits with a bored expression.

"Would you mind if myself and Ukyo leaned against you during the movie?" Kasumi asked and Ukyo blinked at the unexpected request.

"You're actually askin'?" Ranma asked with a note of surprise. "Wow, nobody's ever asked me anything like that before." he said, a hint of wonder and bewilderment in his voice. "Uh, yeah, sure, I guess." he hesitantly responded, swallowing nervously as Kasumi scooted closer and leaned against him, resting her head on his left shoulder. Ukyo only hesitated for a moment longer, then she too scooted up next to Ranma and leaned her head on his right shoulder.

As the two girls got comfortable, Ranma was stiff as a board and didn't move a muscle. He was used to associating contact with females with pain shortly afterwards and it took him a few moments to realize that this wouldn't be happening this time. Ever so slowly, he started to relax, though he found it sort of hard to focus on the movie.

Until the guy started being able to hear the thoughts of the women around him.

Oh, what he wouldn't give for that ability! To actually know what these mysterious creatures though, what they really though... He'd happily trade a Jusenkyo cure for that ability.

Well, perhaps not happily, but he would never the less make the trade.

Possibly...

He hastily glanced aside at the girls snuggled up against him and took a deep breath, feeling slightly discomforted by the scents his nose was picking up. Kasumi had washed up after they closed down the restaurant, using a lavender-scented body soap and a pine shampoo. Underneath it all, he could make out a smell that was distinctly Kasumi. Ukyo too had used a lavender-scented body soap, but the shampoo was almond and honey. She too had a scent that was all hers and one that was markedly different from Kasumi.

He closed his eyes for a few moments and slowly started emitting his Ki in gentle pulses, watching how it slowly seeped into the girls by his side, allowing him to sense their own inner Ki that much more clearly. Despite how different they seemed, they were actually remarkably alike in some ways. Both of them were healthy young women in the peak of health. Before he got to know Kasumi a little better, he would have been surprised to note that her physique wasn't lagging that far behind Ukyo. Ukyo was a martial artist, but she had school and her restaurant to tend to, so she didn't actually get that much training. Perhaps an hour or three a day, five at the maximum, tops!

Kasumi had been a martial artist, but didn't actively train any longer. Half an hour Tai Chi in the morning, another half an hour in the evening. But she constantly used her body, maintaining the house. She always walked to market, always carried her own purchases and always walked back to the Dojo, even though she could have taken a bus. So while she wouldn't stand a chance in hell against Ukyo in a fight, her physical state was more or less equal to the younger martial artist and chef.

/What women want... Being able to tell what women are thinking.../ Ranma thought and let out another few gentle pulses of Ki, directing them towards the head of the two girls resting on his shoulders. He watched both of them for a few moments, but only got a headache from trying to make sense of what his Ki-senses were telling him. It was entirely possible that there was some way to actually read somebody's mind, but he had no idea of how to go about it or even what to start looking for.

But for the first time in what felt like a long time, he actually felt like studying something for the sake of it and not for some sudden, unexpected emergency. He was terribly aware of the fact that he'd stagnated some since he came to Nerima. He still learned, he still got better, but he'd become a terribly lax student since he arrived here. Did he spend all his time trying to learn something new? No, he spent the lion's share of his time trying to juggle the mess that his life had become. When some new opponent showed up, or an old one with a new trick, he studied and usually came up with something new for himself that would allow him to win, that much was true. But it seemed that all he had been doing lately was react to what others did, not making the others react to what he did!

He'd never realized how much he'd come to depend on his father over the years until now. While they were still on the road, the lazy old fart had never stopped pushing him, never stopped egging him on and certainly never allowed him to rest on his laurels. Once he had something down pat, his father directed him to learn something else and he had. For ten years, he'd been in a constant state of learning.

And now he was up to his neck in troubles that the old fart had landed him in, said old fart spent all his time lazing about or playing Shogi with Soun, leaving Ranma to his own devices.

Ranma took another deep breath and resolved to do something about it. If his father couldn't push him to do his best any longer, he'd have to do it himself. He was Saotome Ranma, he was the best.

But he wasn't as good as he could be.

But from now on, he'd certainly try his very best to improve on that!

/What is Ranchan doing/ Ukyo wondered, feeling slightly unnerved by the sensation of foreign Ki moving through her system. But while it was unnerving, she couldn't deny that it felt really good to. Ranchans Ki was warm, comforting, familiar and felt so good when it slowly dissipated inside of her. She grabbed his arm and hugged it against herself, until it was resting between her breasts which had been left unbound for the evening as she freshened up earlier. Ranma didn't even appear to notice and she sighed as she nuzzled her cheek against his muscled shoulder.

She sometimes wondered if things wouldn't have been much simpler if Ranchan really had been as perverted as Akane always claimed that he was. Sure, she'd never be able to let him out of her sight, for fear that he'd fall into Shampoo's clutches, or even worse, Akane's. But perhaps then, he'd at least take note of her as a woman. As it was, she wasn't even sure if he was actually aware that she was a girl!

He had called her cute, that much was true. But then, why couldn't he see fit to give her a few kisses, take her out on a date or something?

But he was staying with her at the moment, the two of them lived under the same roof. There would be plenty of opportunities for her to make him see her as a woman. She had a feeling that she'd have to make several nightly trips to the toilet in the middle of the night, trips in which she'd just happen to forget to wear her bathrobe. It'd be embarrassing as hell to be seen in nothing but panties and the t-shirt she usually slept in, but if it made him view her as a woman, then it'd be all worth it. Heck, she might even have the guts to switch the t-shirt for a bra. That ought to make him see what's what!

/Mmmm, that feels nice./ Kasumi mused, feeling the waves of warmth caress her body, both inside and outside. At first, she thought that she'd been merely imagining it, but after she'd happened to glance the hairs on her arms slowly rise and fall along with the sensations she felt, she couldn't pass it off as merely imagination any longer.

It was probably something Ranma did, though she couldn't quite figure out what that might be.

But she trusted him and decided to enjoy it while it lasted. She couldn't deny that it felt somewhat odd, but it was incredibly nice at the same time. It was as if something was warming her from the inside out, caressing her body from the inside while she was resting in a pool of warm water. She smiled at the antics on the screen, then frowned as Ranma's arm got into the way again. She lifted her head and moved his arm until it was slung across her own shoulders as she rested her head on his. /Ah, yes. Perfect.../ she reasoned and glanced aside, spotting Ukyo on Ranmas other side, cradling his other arm in her own. She caught Ukyo's gaze and the two of them shared a faint smile, before they redirected their attention to the screen.

All three of them knew that the peace they currently enjoyed wouldn't last.

But that was all the more reason to enjoy it while they had the chance.

The End! ( For now... )


	9. Nine

The smallest of actions R  
Niklas "Hawk" Jonsson

Summary: One small event drastically changes things for our young sex-changing Martial Artist. Ever since that event, things have been upside down in the Tendo residence and once things come to a head, Ranma decides to leave. But, he doesn't do so alone. Kasumi decides to come along with him! Just what caused this most dutiful of daughters to abandon her home and family to follow Ranma?

Disclaimer: Ranma ½, the characters and whatnot are not mine, though I certainly wish they were! Azumanga Daioh 'aint mine either! The story is mine though, all mine. This series deals with mature subject matters and violence. If this disturbs you, don't read. But if it does, then why the heck are you watching the show/reading the manga in the first place?

Feedback/Flames: Yes, please. Both of them are equally fun to read, although I must admit that I greatly prefer the first variety. :)  
I can be found on ICQ as 21771860 or through e-mail as iamhawk at yahoo dot com, more stories are available at my nifty lil' site at hawksgalaxy dot com or by clicking on my handle up above if you're reading this on fanfiction dot net.

"speech"  
emphasis/shouts/Kindred Domination/post-hypnotic triggers  
/thoughts/  
/telepathy/  
translation  
+soundeffect/radio/telephone conversation/TV+

Previously, on 'The smallest of actions!'

/Mmm, that feels nice./ Kasumi mused, feeling the waves of warmth caress her body, both inside and outside. At first, she thought that she'd been merely imagining it, but after she'd happened to glance down the hairs on her arms slowly rise and fall along with the sensations she felt, she couldn't pass it off as merely imagination any longer. It was probably something Ranma did, though she couldn't quite figure out what that might be.

But she trusted him and decided to enjoy it while it lasted. She couldn't deny that it felt somewhat odd, but it was incredibly nice at the same time. It was as if something was warming her from the inside out, caressing her body from the inside while she was resting in a pool of warm water. She smiled at the antics on the screen, then frowned as Ranma's arm got into the way again. She lifted her head and moved his arm until it was slung across her own shoulders as she rested her head on his. /Ah, yes. Perfect.../ she reasoned and glanced aside, spotting Ukyo on Ranmas other side, cradling his other arm in her own. She caught Ukyo's gaze and the two of them shared a faint smile, before they redirected their attention to the screen.

All three of them knew that the peace they currently enjoyed wouldn't last.

But that was all the more reason to enjoy it while they had the chance.

Roll credits

* * *

Chapter Nine:

/Oh oh/

Ranma woke up between one heart-beat and the next, completely and fully awake. He wasn't sure what had awakened him, but the moment he woke up, he knew that he was in danger. His eyelids opened up at just below the speed of sound and his gaze instantly locked onto Konatsu, who was standing just two meters away, glaring at him.

Ranma absently noticed that Konatsu at least wore male underwear when he slept, as the boy-who-wanted-to-be-a-girl stood before him dressed only in a pair of black boxer shorts.

Silk, by the looks of them.

The clothes apparently meant for the day Konatsu held in his arms, along with a small basket filled with toiletries. Lots and lots of toiletries. More so then Akane or indeed any real girl he knew used.

That oddly feminine face, the long hair, the athletic body and incredibly amazingly well-toned legs, wasn't what had woken him up though, he was sure.

Even despite Konatsu's annoyed expression.

No, he now knew what had made his danger sense so brutally awaken him.

And it was not the fact that his gaze had actually remained locked at Konatsu's legs for a couple of seconds too long in a manner that nearly made him feel as perverted as Happosai!

He glanced down at Kasumi, who had shifted in her sleep and scooted somewhat away from him. Her head was resting on his lap, while the rest of her was curled up to his side. She was hugging herself, obviously feeling a bit cold. His arm was resting across her and his hand was tilted down so that it almost looked as if he was holding it against her stomach, waiting for a baby inside to kick and allowing him to feel it.

That wasn't it either, despite the fact that the back of her head rested just above his groin, so that he'd poke her head if he got an erection.

Ukyo had scooted over closer to him in her sleep and her arms were wrapped around his waist. Her head was still resting on his shoulder and he could feel strands of her hair tickling his face.

That wasn't it either.

No, what had awoken him, and what was probably the main reason why Konatsu looked so upset, was that his hand wasn't resting quite as innocently on Ukyo as his other did on Kasumi.

His arm was still held between her unbound breasts, but his hand was now very inconveniently located between her thighs and he was extremely disturbed to note that it was cupping her groin.

That was what had woken him.

Somehow, his subconscious mind had realized what was going on and that realization had caused him to wake up covered in cold sweat.

The scared/shocked/confused-expression on his face could have caused just about anyone to crack a smile, but it only made Konatsu glare even harder at him for a few moments.

The shemale ninja then snorted, shook his head and walked downstairs without saying a word, still shaking his head.

Ranma swallowed. While he did hope that he wouldn't ever have to hear about this again, he wasn't naive enough to actually believe that.

He and Konatsu would be talking about this at some point.

Oh yes, the expression on the shemales face had told him that beyond any shadow of a doubt. As surely as the sun would continue to rise for quite a while yet, just as surely would Konatsu be talking to him about what the shemale had seen.

And the fact that Ranma had been staring at his legs while doing it!

Ranma hoped that he would come out of that discussion alive and with all important bits still attached to his body.

But for now, there was a more pressing matter to deal with.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he uncupped Ukyo's groin and straightened out his fingers. Just as cautiously, he started pulling his hand away from the dangerous area, holding his breath as he did so.

Which proved to be a mistake as he nearly choked on empty air when Ukyo growled in her sleep, then captured his hand by slamming her thighs together.

He felt cold sweat trickling down his forehead and shivers creeping down his spine as he glanced down at how his wrist vanished between Ukyo's legs. He rolled his eyes and briefly contemplated just waking her up, but decided against it. She wouldn't react like Akane, but she'd still be embarrassed. However, the real concern for Ranma was that Ukyo wasn't above using something like this for her own benefit, perhaps managing to guilt him into taking her out on a date or something of the sort.

He took a deep slow breath and focused on his internal energies, pushing and prodding an increasing amount of Ki into his arm and down to his wrist. When he'd gathered a sufficient amount there, he sent out a brief pulse to scout the lay of the land, providing him with a mental map to Ukyo's legs. After identifying his targets, he let the collected Ki surge out of him and into Ukyo, causing her muscles to contract and release, resulting in the liberation of his hand. He quickly snatched it away and watched with bemusement as Ukyo moved her legs in her sleep, attempting to recapture his hand, muttering under her breath as she failed to do so.

"P-hew. Safe..." Ranma mumbled to himself.

"Indeed, Ranma-kun." Kasumi calmly commented from his lap, nearly causing his heart to stop from the shock. He stared down at her in horror as she slowly turned her head around and looked up at his terrified expression. "Good morning, Ranma-kun."

"Gack!" he gulped.

"You can calm down, Ranma-kun. I'm not going to tell her. You were asleep when you moved your hand there." Kasumi whispered to him, before she slowly rose into a sitting position, turning around to face him. "Now stay there and keep your hands to yourself, my little human pillow. I'll just go freshen up a bit, then I'll make breakfast for all of us." Kasumi continued in a teasing whisper, causing Ranma to blush furiously. "And thank you for last night." she finished, then bent forward and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, before she stood up and made her way over to Ukyo's room where she picked up some fresh clothes for the day, before she slipped into the upstairs bathroom.

"Why couldn't pops have raised me to be the world's best monk instead?" Ranma muttered to himself, as he tried to imagine how much easier life would be if he lived at some isolated temple surrounded by other monks and not a woman in sight.

Though he couldn't prevent his right hand from slowly rising to his cheek, gently rubbing the area where he had been kissed with his index finger.

* * *

"How did you get Shampoo to start using the door?" Ranma asked Ukyo as he set the table for breakfast, recalling a question that had bothered him yesterday.

And that question popping up now had nothing at all to do with the fact that he hadn't been able to look Ukyo in the eyes since she woke up and he was desperately trying to keep the conversation going in order and his body constantly in motion to hide this fact from her.

"I warned her after the third time I had to shut down the restaurant for repairs and send the Nekohanten a bill for it. I told her then that if she did it again, I'd still send the bill for repairs to the Nekohanten but that I'd also booby-trap her bike." Ukyo replied with a faint smile as she stirred the Miso.

"And that worked? Cool!" Ranma said, committing the fact that threats against her bike might work out to memory for future reference.

"Naw. Remember that week Shampoo never sat down and walked kinda oddly for a couple of days? That was because I had switched her saddle for one stuffed with gunpowder that exploded once she sat down on it." Ukyo explained, then chuckled in satisfaction as she recalled that particular incident.

"Oh my!" Kasumi exclaimed with a shocked expression and fumbled with the wok for a few moments, nearly dropping it to the ground. "That wasn't very nice of you." she commented, then suddenly let out a giggle. "Not very nice at all." she laughed and wiped a few tears from her eyes.

"Ouch!" Ranma commented, absently rubbing his own butt as he thought about how much that had to have hurt.

"I still have a picture of it." Ukyo mused and chuckled. "I'll show it to you sometime, Kasumi." she offered.

"Hey! What about me! I want to see it too!" Ranma demanded.

"Her panties and the lower part of her dress were shredded." Ukyo stated and Ranma instantly nodded, making warding gestures as he instantly dropped the subject. "Singed her muff too... She smelled like burned hair for days after that. She shaves now." Ukyo mumbled under her breath to Kasumi a few moments later when Ranma had gotten back to setting the table, which nearly caused Kasumi to drop the wok again and a furious blush to creep onto her face.

"Good morning, everyone." Konatsu greeted the room as he entered the restaurant, bearing the morning newspaper and a broom he'd used to clean up in front of the restaurant.

"Morning, Konatsu." Ukyo cheerfully greeted her fellow crossdresser.

"Good morning, Konatsu-san." Kasumi added.

"Yo." Ranma simply said, glancing nervously at Konatsu who responded with a side-ways glare in return, before he put the paper down at the table and headed for one of the two downstairs toilettes.

"What's with the two of you today, Ranchan?" Ukyo asked, looking over at the door Konatsu had entered, one of her eyebrows slightly raised in curiosity.

"Nuthin'." Ranma instantly replied and hastily adjusted one of the rice bowls a little bit, pushing it a millimetre to the right.

"Hm, really?" Ukyo responded, looking suspiciously at Ranma for a few moments before she returned focus to her cooking. "Whatever, Ranchan. You tell me when you're ready." she sighed.

/Oh-uh, she suspects something... Diversion... Diversion... Diversion.../ Ranma thought, struggling to find something to prevent her from looking too deeply into it all.

"I wasn't starin' at Konatsu's legs this mornin' or nuthin'!" Ranma blurted out, cursing himself for not being able to come up with something less embarrassing then that particular tidbit of information.

"Oh, yeah. Gorgeous, aren't they? I nearly threw him out of here the first time I saw them and realized that they were better looking then mine." Ukyo absently replied, then blinked and looked over at Ranma. "You... Were looking at... Konatsu's legs?" she suddenly demanded to know with a raised eyebrow and the corners of her mouth twitching in amusement.

"Nuh-uh, I wasn't!" Ranma protested.

"Oh my, you were!" Ukyo exclaimed and started chuckling.

"They are striking, I must confess." Kasumi said, absently rubbing the fingers on her right hand onto her own right leg through her skirt. "He waxes, doesn't he?"

"Wax, moisturizers, hours on a thigh-master, anti-wrinkle-cream and Kami knows what else." Ukyo sighed. "Whatever he can do to improve on them, he does. They're smoother then a baby's bottom, firmer then a solid metal plate, completely blemish-free and so shapely that it boggles the mind! I could kill to have legs like that."

"You've touched them?" Kasumi asked.

"Ya've touched them!" Ranma parroted.

"We massage each other when we're hurt or have overworked ourselves training..." Ukyo mumbled, looking down at the floor.

"Isn't it great that the two of them are such great friends, Ranma?" Kasumi asked as she spotted that Ranma looked a bit angry at that particular revelation and she wanted to dissuade that before he did or said something he really shouldn't.

"... Yeah." Ranma managed to grit out after a hasty glance at Kasumi, before his gaze dropped. Ukyo wasn't the only one he hadn't been able to face this morning.

* * *

"So, what's up with you?" Daisuke asked as lunch came about and he'd dragged Ranma along to the roof, accompanied by Hiroshi who ensured that they weren't followed there.

"Yeah. You were completely out of it yesterday. Didn't even try to change back before you left at lunch." Hiroshi added as he moved on over from the door to a corner of the roof where the three of them seated themselves.

"And Akane was all over you, trying to apologise of all things!" Daisuke added with an incredulous tone of voice and disbelieving expression.

"Your engagement broken off again?" Hiroshi inquired.

"You could say that. It's permanent this time, however." Ranma replied.

"P-permanent!" Daisuke exclaimed, his eyes widening. "What happened?"

"So that's why Nabiki hasn't been taking bets on how long it'd last this time." Hiroshi mused speculatively.

"Yeah. Another fight, only worse then ever this time though." Ranma sighed in a tired tone of voice, as he opened his bento and grabbed his chopsticks.

"So, Nabiki's become your Tendo fiancée again?" Hiroshi asked.

"Naw. 'aint got one of those at the moment." Ranma replied, then his forehead scrounged up. "At least not as far as I know. The Kami only knows what sort of foolishment pops and Tendo-san has been up to since I left." he snarled angrily.

"You've... Left the Tendo's?" Daisuke blurted out in shock.

"Yeah. Couldn't stay there any longer. That's how bad it is." Ranma answered.

"Wow... You must have really messed up this time." Hiroshi commented, only to gulp and swallow nervously as Ranma glared at him. "Or your dad must have really messed up this time?" he tried, but the glare was still as fierce as before. "Uh, Tendo-san?" he attempted and Ranma tilted his head. "Not Tendo-san, but one of the Tendo's?" he tried and Ranma offered a tiny nod. "It's Akane's fault this time?" he asked incredulously.

"Yep." Ranma replied but refused to elaborate.

"Wow... You need a place to stay or something?" Daisuke asked.

"Naw, we're staying at Ucchans." Ranma replied, then cursed himself for his slip.

"'We'?" Daisuke pounced upon him in the blink of an eye.

"Yes. Who are 'we'?" Hiroshi curiously added.

"Kasumi was involved. She decided to tag along. Don't ask me why, because I don't really know why." Ranma replied with a tired sigh.

"Kasumi? Sweet gentle Kasumi? The eldest sister? That Kasumi!" Hiroshi exclaimed.

"Holy crap! If even she decided to leave, it had to have been really bad. What did she do, mallet Kasumi or something?" Daisuke blurted out.

"I 'aint telling." Ranma responded firmly. "It's a private matter." he added with a note of finality.

"S'okay. But Kasumi? Man, that was unexpected." Daisuke commented.

"And Ukyo's of all places. So she's the main fiancée now?" Hiroshi asked.

"She's a friend. A good one." Ranma countered.

"Who just happens to be your fiancée. Who you just happen to live with." Daisuke argued.

"Along with Kasumi and Konatsu." Ranma responded.

"Almost forgot about those two. Must be cramped over there. You sure that you don't need a place to stay?" Hiroshi asked.

"If Kasumi hadn't tagged along, I'd probably take you guys up on that." Ranma sighed. "But I need to keep an eye on her. I won't let anything happen to her."

"Of course not." Daisuke responded. "So, the four of you. In Ucchans. The top floor can't be all that large, I'm guessing. How does the sleeping arrangements work out?" he asked with a leer.

"Ucchan and Kasumi stay in Ucchans room, Konatsu in his and I take the couch." Ranma replied quickly to avoid any misunderstandings. "So get the filth out of your tiny little brains!"

"S'cool." Daisuke replied defensively. "It's more fun imagining what Ukyo and Kasumi might be up to at night anyway." he admitted with a wide grin.

"Ooohhh, the hot tomboy crossdresser type and the sexy older sister type. All alone, hot'n bothered under the sheets. ... Yeah..." Hiroshi drawled and wiped a trickle of drool away from the corner of his mouth.

"You guys are completely hopeless." Ranma sighed and started to make short work of his bento.

Though he had to admit that even the normalcy of his two friend's rampant perverseness felt comforting at the moment and he couldn't prevent a small smile from playing around the corners of his lips as he devoured the delicious Bento Ucchan and Kasumi had prepared together.

"What if Ranma joined them in his cursed form?" Daisuke suggested.

"Oooohyeah..." Hiroshi mumbled. "I can see it now and it is glorious! ... Hey, does Konatsu have a dick or not?" he suddenly asked and Ranma groaned.

Then again, perhaps they weren't all that comforting after all!

The End! ( For now... )


End file.
